Israeli Defense Minister's Visit to Azerbaijan; Tehran's Malicious Activities at the Center of Discussions

Yoav Gallant, the Israeli Defense Minister, stated that during his visit to Azerbaijan, he will warn officials about "Tehran's malicious activities." In a statement prior to his trip, Mr. Gallant said, "This visit is another step in the growing relations between Israel and Azerbaijan." He added that he would alert Azerbaijanis about the global threat of nuclear weapons in the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran and provide details regarding the "dangerous actions" that Iran is undertaking within Israel's borders and across the Middle East. During this visit, which will last until Friday, July 14, he will meet with Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan, General Zakir Hasanov, his Azerbaijani counterpart, and other senior security officials of the country. Israel is one of the major arms suppliers and also a buyer of oil from Azerbaijan. Relations between Iran and Azerbaijan deteriorated last January following an armed attack on this country's embassy in Tehran. Baku claims that the intelligence services of the Islamic Republic were behind this attack, but Tehran denies this. Last year, Azerbaijan also arrested five of its citizens on charges of spying for Tehran and 17 others for their membership in "an illegal armed group created by Iran." This oil-rich country in the Caspian Sea region accuses Tehran of supporting Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Islamic Republic has also denied this accusation. Kanani's reaction to Baku's warning for its citizens traveling to Iran: scare your people about Israel. Accusation of "espionage" for an Azerbaijani student who traveled to find an Iranian girlfriend. End of the Israeli President's visit to Baku; emphasis on cooperation to counter Iranian hostilities. Herzog in Baku; Presidents of Azerbaijan and Israel discussed the threat of the Islamic Republic in the region.