Since the beginning of this year, Irans northern neighbor Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that it will not participate in any military actions against Iran.
CNN reported on June 5, citing four sources, that during the war with Iran, Israel secretly deployed elite combat and intelligence units to Azerbaijan. These units served as forward bases for intelligence collection, drone operations, and wartime rescue efforts. The report also stated that this was not an isolated action, but part of Israels efforts to establish secret military networks in places like Iraq, the UAE, and Somaliland. These networks were intended to provide support for various military operations aimed at targeting Iran. However, Azerbaijan has denied these allegations.
Two sources told CNN that these Israeli troops are stationed at several locations in southern Azerbaijan. They are located near the northern border of Iran. The positions are only about 60 miles (97 kilometers) away from Daftari, an Iranian city that was targeted by Israeli attacks during the war.
During the conflict, a scene of Derby being attacked by air raids
Two additional sources said that Israel also deployed special assault units to the region, tasked with gathering intelligence and carrying out drone operations. This allowed Israel to gain an important forward position for monitoring northern Iran during the war.
This secret deployment, disclosed for the first time by CNN, is one of several military bases maintained by Israel in the Middle East. These bases provide the Israeli forces with unprecedented operational depth, revealing the role played by Irans neighboring countries in Israeli military operations. Some of these countries may be merely tolerated, while others may be involved in conflicts without even realizing it.
Sources confirmed to CNN that, in addition to Azerbaijan, Israel has also established numerous secret military bases in places like Iraq, the UAE, and Somaliland. These locations were initially planned only as temporary shelters for emergency response teams. Over time, their functions were expanded, and they became advanced stations that combine military defense with intelligence surveillance capabilities.
Based on all available information, during wartime, Israel has deployed its forces along the borders of northern, western, and southern Iran. The combat radius of Israeli forces extends hundreds of miles beyond their initial positions, allowing them to strike targets deep within Irans territory. These forward positions enable Israel to launch multiple rounds of extensive air strikes against Iranian targets.
An insider revealed that the military forces stationed in Azerbaijan consist of dozens of personnel, including Israeli special operations units, elite airborne rescue teams, and Mossad agents.
Meanwhile, a source said that Somaliland, located in the Horn of Africa, serves as another military base for Israel. Israeli fighter jets can use Somaliland as a transit point to receive supplies before continuing their journey toward Iran. In December last year, Israel became the first country to officially recognize the sovereignty of Somaliland. The UAE also has significant economic and military deployments in the port city of Berbera in Somaliland.
Additionally, Israel is said to have two secret facilities in Iraq, which serve as logistical support bases. In necessary situations, these facilities can also be used for search and rescue missions involving pilots.
These two Iraqi bases were first disclosed by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. The Iraqi military announced that as of early March this year, there were no unauthorized foreign bases or troops stationed in Iraq.
According to Axios first report, during the war against Iran, Israel also discreetly deployed an anti-aircraft system called Iron Cloud along with its operators, as well as other defensive systems, in the UAE.
CNN previously reported that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Mossad chief, and the Israeli militarys chief of staff visited the UAE during wartime. However, the UAE later denied this claim outright.
However, Azerbaijan does not acknowledge any information regarding Israeli troops stationed there.
An spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Embassy in the United States issued a statement to CNN, saying: We firmly deny any false claims that Azerbaijani territory has been used for military operations against third countries.
However, reports indicate that for a long time, Israel has regarded Azerbaijan as a key strategic partner in its efforts to counter Iran. Preparations for this conflict began weeks before the actual war started. Israels presence in Azerbaijan serves both as a place of refuge for pilots who lose their planes during combat missions, and as a intelligence hub from which it can monitor military activities across Iran.
Source image: Azerbaijani President Aliyev meets with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu
Two sources familiar with the plan told CNN that as early as mid-January this year, when large-scale protests erupted in Iran, Israel began preparing for covert deployments along the border. They installed monitoring and intelligence equipment in advance, laying the groundwork for subsequent actions.
Israel originally planned to carry out this operation under the cover of a first round of air strikes in mid-January. However, as U.S. President Trump called off the air strikes at the last moment, Israel decided to proceed with its deployment unilaterally.
The Israeli leadership believed that negotiations between the US and Iran were doomed to fail. Therefore, the Israeli Air Force utilized stealth aircraft and special forces to carry out the deployment of equipment. Since then, these intelligence stations have continued to collect information on Iranian military movements and military facilities. They can also provide early warnings regarding Iranian missile launches.
In less than two weeks after the deployment was completed, Israeli Foreign Minister Sal to visit the Azerbaijani capital Baku. He met with Azerbaijans President and several high-ranking officials. In May 2025, Azerbaijan also hosted a secret bilateral meeting between Israel and Syria, which was quite rare.
According to a source, one of Israels major operations launched from Azerbaijan was the targeted assassination of Rahman Moghaddam, the head of the intelligence department of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard on March 4. Israel accused him of plotting a assassination attempt against Trump in 2024.
One day later, on March 5th, the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan in Azerbaijan was attacked by drones, resulting in two people being injured. Azerbaijan strongly condemned the attack and attributed it to Iran. Iran denied carrying out the attack, and suggested that some reports of the attack might be false flag operations carried out by someone else.
March 6th, Azerbaijani security authorities announced the thwarting of an attack plan by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The targets included key infrastructure facilities, as well as Israeli and Jewish targets. A few weeks later, Israel publicly acknowledged that this was a joint operation, with participation from Mossad, the Israeli military, and the Shin Bet security agency.
The two countries maintain close ties through energy and military trade. Azerbaijan supplies large amounts of crude oil to Israel, in return, Israel exports advanced military equipment to Azerbaijan. Some of these weapons were used by Azerbaijan during the conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2016 and 2020 to counter Armenia. In 2016, Azerbaijan also became the first foreign customer to purchase Israels Iron Dome air defense system.
Iran expert Gershon Kogan, a scholar at the Bejin-Sadat Strategic Research Center, wrote before the outbreak of the war in Iran: Israels strategies in Azerbaijan have always been kept low-key. Israel relies primarily on weapons transfers, intelligence cooperation, and long-term technical interdependence in security matters.
Senior analyst at the crisis organization, Joshua Kucera, said that bilateral relations with Israel give Azerbaijan important diplomatic advantages. Baku can leverage Israels lobbying groups in Congress to expand its diplomatic influence.
Kuchera said, If Israel is indeed helping Azerbaijan to counter various destabilizing activities carried out by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, then this matter is quite secret.
