Latest news with #Nagorno-Karabakh
India.com
18-06-2025
- Business
- India.com
Israel or Iran... Who is Pakistan ally Azerbaijan a friend or foe of? Locked horns with both countries at once — Here's Why
New Delhi: In a major development, Pakistan's ally Azerbaijan has issued a warning to both Israel and Iran regarding the use of its airspace. According to the reports, Azerbaijan has cautioned that its territory must not be used in any way for attacks on a third party. Azerbaijan, on Saturday, assured neighboring Iran that it would not allow its territory to be used for attacks against Tehran. This comes after Israel launched deadly airstrikes on Iranian bases. Iran has long expressed concerns that Israel might use Azerbaijani land to carry out attacks. It is important to note that Israel is a close ally of Azerbaijan and a major arms supplier to the country. Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, 'Azerbaijan will never allow its territory to be used for attacks against third countries, including friendly Iran.' According to Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry press service, Bayramov, during a phone call with Araghchi, warned that 'there is a risk of the conflict expanding to a broader region' and called for 'diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation.' The ministry also stated that Azerbaijan had facilitated overland transit across its borders after Iran closed its airspace in response to Israeli attacks. Azerbaijan-Israel Relation: Based on shared interests and extensive military cooperation, Israel and Azerbaijan have maintained strategic relations for decades. It is important to note that Azerbaijan is a major supplier of oil to Israel, while it acquires advanced Israeli weapons—drones, air defense systems, and cutting-edge defense technologies. Relations deepened further after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, during which Israeli weapons played a decisive role in Azerbaijan's battlefield success. Both countries also share concerns over Iran's regional ambitions and its nuclear program. Azerbaijan is a neighbor of Iran: Azerbaijan shares a long border with Iran. It also hosts a significant ethnic Azerbaijani population within Iran's borders. Not only that, tensions between Azerbaijan and Iran also exist over Armenia. For the past few years, Azerbaijan has been trying to take control of the Zangezur Corridor, which lies within Armenian territory. Azerbaijan and Turkey support this corridor, while Armenia wants to retain its control over it.
India.com
31-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
India arming Armenia with powerful weapons like Pinaka, Akash, and howitzers; check Pakistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan connection
India arming Armenia with powerful weapons like Pinaka, Akash, and howitzers; check Pakistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan connection Defense relations between India and Armenia have been continuously increasing. By Tahir Qureshi Edited by Tahir Qureshi Advertisement New Delhi: India is continuously increasing arms sales to Armenia. This is seen as an effort to counter the growing strategic alliance between Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan. This trilateral partnership has challenged India's regional interests. During the recent India-Pakistan conflict, Turkey and Azerbaijan openly supported Islamabad and condemned India. In this context, the rising Indian arms sales to Armenia are being viewed as a balance of power, which is likely to escalate tensions with Azerbaijan and Turkey. Azerbaijan has a longstanding hostility with Armenia, and both countries have fought several wars against each other. Defense relations between India and Armenia have been continuously increasing since 2020. The main reason for this is Armenia's growing distance from its traditional arms supplier, Russia. During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, Armenia accused Russia of remaining neutral and not providing assistance, even though both countries are members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Advertisement === Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Rajan Kochar, senior advisor at the Delhi-based security think tank Indic Researchers Forum, stated, 'India's relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan are not very good. Therefore, the sale of any kind of weapons to Armenia is unlikely to affect our relations with them, especially since both countries openly supported and promoted Pakistan against India during Operation Sindoor.' According to media reports, India is planning to deliver a second consignment of the Akash-1S surface-to-air missile system to Armenia under the 2022 treaty, along with a wide range of weapons including howitzer guns and the Pinaka multiple launch rocket system. The first consignment of missiles was sent last November. Advertisement === According to a report, Russia was Armenia's largest arms supplier for many years, but experts say that Yerevan's not providing open support for Moscow in the war against Ukraine has negatively impacted the relationship. Since then, India has emerged as a major supplier of arms to Armenia. London-based independent political analyst Chris Blackburn stated that India's missile sales are a direct response to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's support for Pakistan and his criticism of countries supplying arms to Armenia.
