Iran Warns Azerbaijan that External Interference in the Region Is Unacceptable

• 07.04.2017, 11:19
• Arpine Hovsepyan
•  Region,  "Insight" Analytical Center ,  World

In the framework of the meeting of the heads of the parliaments of the Eurasian countries in Seoul, the RA NA Speaker Ara Babloyan met with the Chairman of the Mejlis of Iran Ali Larijani.

Iranian media reported that the parties discussed issues related to the Karabakh conflict. In particular, the speaker of the Iranian parliament stressed that "the involvement of Israel in the Karabakh conflict will have negative consequences," adding that the issue should be settled without external influence.

Mentioning Israel by the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament most probably is not an accident. Of course, it is clear that the addressee of Larijani's statement is Baku. Of course, the continuing tension between Israel and Iran, and the deepening relations (especially in the military sphere) between Israel and Azerbaijan have their role, which, certainly, Tehran is carefully following. Israel does not hide that its interest in Azerbaijan primarily comes from the desire to have an additional instrument against Iran.

And Baku tries to present the cooperation with Israel as a counterbalance to the deepening Armenian-Iranian relations. Meanwhile, Tehran is closely following the rapprochement of Tel Aviv and Baku, and this circumstance to a greater extent prevents Azerbaijan to publicity declare about the deepening relations with Israel.

It is significant that just a few days ago the company Rafael from Israel for the first time introduced a new-generation anti-tank missile Spike, which was successfully tested in Israel. Israeli media claim that a few weeks ago, Azerbaijan used this missile against Artsakh.

The statement of the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament contains another important warning for Azerbaijan and affirms the invariability of Iran's position that in the region issues should be resolved by the efforts of regional countries, by all means excluding external influence. And military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel does not serve this purpose at all.