Kanani's Reaction to Baku's Warning for Citizens Traveling to Iran: Scare Your People About Israel

Following the recommendation from the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Iran, the spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the people of Azerbaijan should be scared of Israel, not Iran. On Tuesday, June 5, Kanani referred to Azerbaijan's policy as 'the same policy' as that of Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel, and labeled Israel as a 'child killer.' While Kanani called Israel a 'child killer,' reports from human rights organizations indicate that at least 72 children, including Kian Pirfalak, have been killed during the suppression of peaceful nationwide protests in Iran since September 2022. These remarks by Nasser Kanani come two days after Azerbaijan urged its citizens to refrain from non-essential travel to Iran. The necessity of 'scaring' the people of Azerbaijan about Israel in the statements of this senior official from the Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry is notable given that diplomatic relations between the two countries are ongoing, and Isaac Herzog visited Baku on May 30. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement on June 2, referred to a 'terrorist attack' on its embassy in Tehran in February 2023, describing the situation in Iran as 'unstable' and advising its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Iran. The Azerbaijani government also recommended that its citizens currently in Iran exercise 'utmost caution' and adhere to security principles. The travel advisory from Azerbaijan came after the disappearance of Farid Safarli, a 27-year-old student in Germany, who went missing in Iran last year. His mother told the Azerbaijani service of Voice of America that the young student intended to meet his Iranian girlfriend in Istanbul but went to Iran after she did not arrive. Following the attack on the Baku embassy in Tehran, relations between the two countries soured, and Azerbaijan withdrew its diplomats from Tehran, although its consulate in Tabriz continues to operate. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs also summoned the Iranian ambassador in mid-April and informed him that four Iranian diplomats in Baku were recognized as 'undesirable elements' and must leave the country within 48 hours. Concurrently, Azerbaijan detained six individuals who it claimed were 'hired by the Iranian intelligence agency to destabilize the situation in the country.' In response, the Islamic Republic expelled four Azerbaijani diplomats in May. Herzog's visit to Baku included discussions between the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Israel regarding the threat posed by the Islamic Republic in the region. Azerbaijani officials have detained at least nine individuals on suspicion of connections to the Islamic Republic. A senior Israeli military official stated that negative developments in Iran's nuclear program would lead to 'action.'