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Israel and Azerbaijan: Unlikely Allies?


(Guardian-UK) Phoebe Greenwood - A senior Israeli official suggests that Iran's outrage at Azerbaijan's burgeoning relationship with Israel may actually be pushing the unlikely allies closer together. "The more pressure applied by Iran, the more they unveil plots to carry out terror attacks on Azerbaijani embassies, the more they [Azeris] are co-operating with us," the official explained. "Iran's fear that its considerable Azeri minority may have aspirations for independence is the current bed of its relations with Azerbaijan. As a result, Azerbaijan is very interested in firming up its relationship with Israel." More than 30% of the Iranian population are ethnic Azeris (including Ayatollah Khamenei). Last month Israel confirmed the sale of drones and anti-aircraft missile defense systems to the former Soviet state in a $1.6 billion arms deal.
2012-03-30 00:00:00
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