Armenia Protests to Israel Over Drone Sales to Azerbaijan

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Sunday, April 22, that the Armenian government has complained to Israel regarding the sale of weapons to Azerbaijan, particularly offensive drones, and allowing this republic to use these weapons in recent battles with Armenia. According to the report, Armen Melikyan, Armenia's ambassador to Egypt, who is also the non-resident ambassador to Israel, conveyed Armenia's "strong protest" to Netanyahu's government last week. The ambassador emphasized that Armenia expects Israel not to allow Azerbaijan to use the weapons purchased from Israel in its battles with Armenia. According to the complaint from Yerevan, the Azerbaijani army has killed a number of Armenians in recent battles over the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region using some Israeli weapons. The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region has flared up again after 22 years, and reports indicate that more than thirty soldiers from both countries have been killed. Azerbaijan announced that it suffered 12 fatalities and "over a hundred injuries" in these battles; Armenia did not provide a specific figure but emphasized that it inflicted "heavy casualties on the invading forces." Israeli media reported last week that the country's defense industries confirmed the sale of weapons, including Harop-type offensive drones, to the Azerbaijani army in June 2015. The Washington Post reported last week that in an attack by a suicide drone used by the Azerbaijani army, a convoy of Armenian military vehicles was targeted, resulting in the deaths of seven of its soldiers. Haaretz reported on Sunday, April 22, that the military deal signed between Israel and Azerbaijan in 2012 amounted to $1.6 billion in Israeli weapons sales to the Azerbaijani army, which included advanced and "suicide" drones. Simultaneously, according to Haaretz, the Azerbaijani government has also complained about Israel's "silence" regarding its conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. Ali Hasanov, an advisor to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, stated in an interview with the Jerusalem Post last week that the Baku government expects Israel to take a stance and leverage its close relations with the United States to strengthen Azerbaijan's position in the military conflict with Armenia. Avigdor Lieberman, former Israeli foreign minister, who established closer relations with Azerbaijan, stated last week that Israel should stand by Azerbaijan. However, the Israeli government did not publicly respond to Azerbaijan's complaint or Lieberman's call for a public stance on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Nagorno-Karabakh is a region belonging to Azerbaijan, but the majority of its population is Armenian. Since 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the independence of the republics, Nagorno-Karabakh also declared independence, leading to war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The fighting between the two countries ended in 1994. Meanwhile, the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia immediately agreed to a ceasefire following the recent battles. Haaretz reported that the secular nature of the Azerbaijani government, despite the majority of its population being Shia, and its proximity to Iran's borders, is considered an important advantage from Israel's perspective. General Moshe Ya'alon, Israel's defense minister, visited Azerbaijan in September 2014. According to Haaretz, purchasing oil from Azerbaijan is also of great importance to Israel, and in return, Israel has become the main supplier of weapons to Azerbaijan in recent years. According to this report, Israeli arms sales to Azerbaijan have far exceeded the 2012 contract and have reached over $5 billion. Haaretz noted that some officials in Israel have expressed concern that selling such a significant amount of Israeli weapons to Azerbaijan could reignite the flames of war between this country and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. Ali Akbar Velayati, former Iranian foreign minister, stated on Saturday night, April 21, in an interview with Iran's first television network that there is an assessment that "foreign hands are behind the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis to create problems for Russia in the Caucasus region." The East Azerbaijan governorate in Iran also announced that three artillery shells fired by Armenia in these battles had landed in Iran. Hassan Rouhani last week, in separate phone calls with Serge Sarkisian and Ilham Aliyev, the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, called for an end to the conflict and resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue through negotiation. In this context, Hassan Rouhani urged Azerbaijan and Armenia to "exercise restraint." The ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenian separatists continues, and the shells from the Nagorno-Karabakh clashes have struck Iranian territory. Azerbaijan announced a unilateral ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.