Israel secretly deployed elite military and intelligence personnel to Azerbaijan during the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran as part of a broader network of covert positions established across the Middle East to support operations against the Islamic Republic, according to a report published Friday.
CNN, citing four sources familiar with the matter, reported that Israeli forces operated from multiple locations in southern Azerbaijan near Iran’s northern border, including positions roughly 60 miles from the city of Tabriz, which was later struck during Israel’s campaign against the regime.
The deployment reportedly included special operations personnel, members of Israel’s elite air force rescue units, and Mossad operatives who carried out intelligence-gathering and drone missions, giving Israel what the outlet described as a valuable vantage point from which to monitor military activity inside northern Iran.
According to the report, the Azerbaijan deployment formed part of a broader network of covert Israeli positions established across the region during the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran, including facilities in Iraq, air-defense deployments in the United Arab Emirates, and a position in Somaliland that could support long-range Israeli air operations connected to Iran.
The positions were initially intended to serve as emergency rescue locations in the event Israeli aircraft were downed during the conflict, but later expanded into intelligence and operational hubs supporting Israel’s campaign, the report said.
Azerbaijan’s embassy in Washington rejected the allegations, telling CNN it “firmly reject[s] unfounded claims regarding the alleged use of Azerbaijan’s territory for operations against third countries.”
Neither the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office nor the Israel Defense Forces commented on the report.
The report said Israeli preparations in Azerbaijan began weeks before the opening phase of the campaign against Iran.
According to two sources cited by the outlet, Israel launched a covert mission along the Azerbaijan-Iran border in January as anti-regime protests reached a peak across the Islamic Republic and Tehran moved to crush demonstrators.
The mission reportedly involved installing intelligence-gathering equipment and surveillance systems capable of monitoring Iranian military activity and providing early warning of missile launches.
The report said Israeli leaders believed ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran were unlikely to succeed and moved forward with preparations using stealth aircraft and special forces.
One of the most significant operations reportedly launched from Azerbaijan was the March 4 killing of Rahman Moghaddam, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ special intelligence operations division.
According to the report, Moghaddam oversaw the recruitment and training of operatives tasked with gathering intelligence on Israeli political leaders, security officials, military installations, ports, and Israeli-linked maritime assets around the world. Israeli officials previously accused him of involvement in efforts to target President Donald Trump.
One day after Moghaddam’s killing, drones struck Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave, damaging part of an airport terminal and wounding several people. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev blamed Iran at the time and described the incident as an “act of terror,” while Tehran denied responsibility.
Two days later, Azerbaijan’s State Security Service announced it had foiled an alleged IRGC plot targeting critical infrastructure as well as Israeli and Jewish sites inside the country. Israel later acknowledged that the operation was conducted jointly by the Mossad, the IDF, and the Shin Bet security service.
The report highlighted Israel’s longstanding strategic relationship with Azerbaijan, which shares a lengthy border with Iran and has become one of Jerusalem’s closest regional partners.
Azerbaijan supplies Israel with a significant portion of its oil imports, while Israel has become one of Baku’s leading defense suppliers. Israeli-made systems played a prominent role in Azerbaijan’s conflicts with Armenia, and Azerbaijan became the first foreign country to purchase Israel’s Iron Dome air-defense system in 2016.
The relationship has also expanded diplomatically. Less than two weeks after the reported border operation, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar traveled to Baku for meetings with Aliyev and other senior Azerbaijani officials.
The report said Azerbaijan was only one component of a wider Israeli regional infrastructure established during the conflict.
The report said Israel also maintained covert facilities in Iraq that provided logistical support and search-and-rescue capabilities for operations connected to Iran. Last month, both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times reported that Israel had operated secret positions inside Iraq during the campaign.
The report also follows revelations that Israel deployed an Iron Dome battery, additional air-defense systems, and Israeli personnel to the United Arab Emirates to help defend the Gulf state from Iranian missile and drone attacks.
Meanwhile, Somaliland — the self-governing territory on the Horn of Africa recognized by Israel last December — reportedly provided another strategic position that could support long-range Israeli air operations connected to Iran.
Taken together, the positions in Azerbaijan, Iraq, the UAE, and Somaliland effectively placed Israeli assets around Iran’s northern, western, and southern approaches, significantly extending Israel’s operational reach during the campaign while providing additional intelligence, logistical, and emergency-support capabilities.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.