Tehran goads radical sects amidst restoring diplomatic bridge with Azerbaijan

By Fatime Letifova

Following the terrorist attack against the Azerbaijani embassy in Iran in January of last year, one of the main focus of the negotiations between Baku and Tehran was the issue of security. During the last few months, the expectations of Azerbaijan were conveyed to Tehran within the framework of contacts and negotiations between the officials and relevant institutions of the two countries.

Today, Aykhan Hajizada, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded to the local media inquiry on the work carried out in the direction of restoring the activities of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He said that the new location of the embassy has already been determined.

"Currently, appropriate measures are being taken to create the necessary conditions for the Embassy in the said venue and building. After the mentioned works are completed, it is planned to restore the activity of the Embassy in the new venue,” Aykhan Hajizada noted.

However, at a time when Tehran wants to normalise relations with Baku, some media outlets affiliated with SEPAH continue to use threatening rhetoric. Thus, Kayhan newspaper, which is the press organ of Iran's religious leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei's office, published threatening statements against Azerbaijan in its article on the Gaza issue.

In the article, it reads, "If you ignore it, it's your turn after Israel!" published with the title. Also, in some parts of the article, Israeli-Azerbaijani relations were touched upon, and it was emphasised that more than half of Israel's energy needs are met by Azerbaijani oil.

At a time when relations with Azerbaijan are normalising, the irresponsibility of the Tehran office is not accepted unequivocally. Apparently, Iran wants to announce that it will not give up its anti-Azerbaijani policy.

In the published blackmail article, it was demanded to stop the transportation of oil from Azerbaijan to Israel. The author of the article claimed that if Azerbaijan stops selling oil to Israel through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, Israel's economy will collapse.

It is worth noting that the economic and political relations established between Azerbaijan and other countries, as well as trade, should not be in the interest of the third state. It should be taken into account that Iran itself did not raise a voice for Armenia's occupation of Azerbaijani lands and the displacement of nearly 1 million people, more than half of whom are Muslims, for 30 years.

Tehran seems indifferent to what is happening in the areas close to its border, but it activates the principle of "justice" in the events in distant regions.

It should be noted that Azerbaijan voted for the independence of Palestine in the UN vote. Baku is in favour of ending the ongoing war in Gaza, and is even ready to provide financial support for the reconstruction of the region in the future. Tehran ignores these facts and acts only with the thought of doing evil.

On the other hand, the arrest of people serving Iran's agency network in Azerbaijan also worries this country. Periodic protests draw the attention of Muslims in Azerbaijan in the wrong direction and create conditions for the implementation of insidious plans under the guise of religion.

However, it should not be forgotten that Azerbaijan is one of the countries that shows maximum tolerance for the religious freedom of all its citizens. There are thousands of mosques, churches, and synagogues here. It is unacceptable that Iran is trying to brainwash the Muslim population living in Azerbaijan, turning the Islamic religion and, most importantly, people's beliefs into a tool in politics.

The fact that the Islamic Republic did not take any action against Iranian citizens who called Azerbaijanis to "religious brotherhood" on social networks and spread the idea of??establishing a "Karima" state in Azerbaijan is an indication that the steps taken are in line with the state's interests.

Iran literally tries to interfere in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan through such so-called organisations that raise slogans under the motto of "freedom". Tehran should not forget that the Syrian option does not work in the South Caucasus, and to provoke people with religious slogans, on the contrary, further harms Iran's reputation.