Azerbaijan on Friday rejected a CNN report alleging that Israeli military and intelligence personnel operated from Azerbaijani territory during the recent war with Iran, calling the claims unfounded and demanding that the network withdraw the story.
In a statement, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said it had previously denied similar allegations and had communicated its position to CNN before publication of the report.
The ministry criticized the report’s reliance on unnamed sources and said it failed to present credible evidence to support its claims. Azerbaijani officials also accused CNN of disregarding the government’s official response and acting contrary to standards of objectivity and professional journalism.
“As has been stated on numerous occasions, allegations that Azerbaijan’s territory has been used by any third country for military operations, intelligence activities, or other hostile purposes against another state are completely unfounded,” the ministry said.
“Azerbaijan has never allowed, and will never allow, its territory to be used for such purposes,” it added.
The response came after CNN reported, citing four sources familiar with the operations, that Israeli military and intelligence personnel were stationed at a network of undisclosed locations across the Middle East during the conflict with Iran.
According to CNN, some of those sites were located in Azerbaijan, while others were situated in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Somaliland. The report said the facilities were initially established as emergency rescue locations but later expanded into military and intelligence platforms.
CNN reported that several positions in southern Azerbaijan were considered especially significant because of their proximity to Iran. Sources cited by the network said some of the locations were approximately 60 miles from the Iranian city of Tabriz, which was among the targets struck by Israel during the war.
The network also reported that activities conducted from the Azerbaijani sites included intelligence collection, drone operations and support for aerial rescue missions.
According to CNN’s sources, the locations provided Israeli forces with access near Iran’s northern border and served as positions from which military and intelligence personnel could monitor developments inside the country
