Since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the mullahs in Tehran have been chanting "Death to America" and "Death to Israel." However, what is less known across the globe is that the Iranian regime hates Azerbaijan almost as much as they hate Israel and America. This is because in the eyes of the mullahs, there is nothing worse than to see a majority Shia Muslim country led by a leader like Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who champions religious tolerance, multi-culturalism, pluralism and women's rights, and who is a staunch ally of the Jewish state.
Due to Azerbaijan's moderation and strong friendship with Israel, the Iranians have in recent times done everything that they could to threaten Azerbaijan. One of the ways that the mullahs in Tehran try to harm Azerbaijan is through the use of spies.
According to recent foreign media reports, five Azerbaijani nationals were arrested for spying for Iran, where they reportedly gathered information about Azerbaijan's military including the procurement of Turkish and Israeli drones and the country's energy infrastructure. This comes after the Azerbaijan State Security Services arrested 19 people that are accused of being trained and funded by Iran's intelligence services. These individuals posed a threat to Azerbaijan's national security by smuggling illegal extremist material into the country and threatening local Azerbaijanis, who opposed their actions in support of Armenia.
One member of this group distributed extremist T-shirts among Azerbaijanis using the vehicle of the Iranian Embassy. Three detainees confessed that they had undergone military training in Syria and were paid by the Iranians up to $1,000 for their activities. It was also reported that these individuals were tied to a local Shia extremist group known as the Muslim Unity Movement.
These arrests come as anti-government protests intensify in the Islamic Republic, Iran held military exercises along the Azerbaijani border and opened up an Iranian consulate in Armenia near the Azerbaijani border. Baku and Tehran have strained relations, with Iran frequently condemning Azerbaijan for cooperating with the State of Israel. The Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan was recently summoned over the threatening rhetoric coming from Tehran. Not too long ago, Iran arrested 10 people near their border with Azerbaijan, whom they accused of being Israeli spies. During the Second Karabakh War, there were reports that Iranian forces actively intervened to help Armenia. Thus, Iran seeking to sabotage Azerbaijan has a very long history.
Azerbaijani journalist Elnur Enveroglu recently stated in an interview that Iran has been using political organizations for its infiltration.
According to Enveroglu, "Iran has always attempted to sabotage peace and security in the region, especially in Azerbaijan. This has intensified since the Second Karabakh War, which totally destroyed Iran's dark plans for Azerbaijan. However, it is clear that Iran formed these plans for many years dating back to Soviet times. Azerbaijan has always waited for the right moment to seize Iranian operatives."
Paulo Casaca, a former EU Parliamentarian, praised Azerbaijan for seizing the Iranian operatives: "The recruitment and training of foreigners to conduct armed operations in their native countries is one of the key activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. The expansion of Iranian theocracy is one of its key characteristics. The international community should unequivocally condemn the Iranian regime for its aggressive actions."
Rachel Avraham is the CEO of the Dona Gracia Center for Diplomacy and editor of the Economic Peace Center. She is also the author of "Women and Jihad: Debating Palestinian Female Suicide Bombings in the American, Israeli and Arab Media."
