A new report has alleged that Israel operated a network of covert military and intelligence positions across several countries during its conflict with Iran, including a secret deployment in Azerbaijan close to the Iranian border.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Israeli special forces, intelligence operatives and rescue units were stationed at multiple locations in southern Azerbaijan, providing a strategic position for surveillance and operations targeting northern Iran.
The report claimed the deployment included elite military personnel and intelligence agents who conducted reconnaissance missions and drone-related activities from areas located not far from the Iranian city of Tabriz, which came under attack during the conflict.
Sources also alleged that the Azerbaijan operation was part of a wider network of secret sites stretching across the Middle East, including locations in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Somaliland. These positions were reportedly established to support intelligence gathering, logistics and potential rescue missions.
However, Azerbaijan has strongly denied the claims. In a statement, the country’s embassy in the United States rejected allegations that its territory was used for operations against any third country.
The report further stated that Somaliland provided Israel with a strategic location that could be used as a stopover point for long-distance flights linked to operations involving Iran. Israel was the first nation to officially recognise Somaliland in 2025.
In Iraq, Israeli forces were also said to have maintained secret facilities that served as logistical hubs and possible search-and-rescue centres. Iraqi authorities have previously denied the presence of any unauthorised foreign military bases on their soil.
The report additionally alleged that Israel quietly positioned an Iron Dome defence system in the UAE during the conflict, alongside military personnel responsible for operating it.
Israel and Azerbaijan have maintained close ties for years, particularly in the areas of security, intelligence and defence cooperation. Azerbaijan is a major supplier of oil to Israel, while Israel has provided advanced military equipment to the South Caucasus nation.
Sources claimed Israel’s activities in Azerbaijan intensified months before the conflict escalated, including the installation of intelligence-gathering equipment along the border with Iran.
The report also linked Azerbaijan-based operations to the killing of a senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), though no official confirmation has been provided regarding the claim.
Analysts say the close relationship between Israel and Azerbaijan has long been viewed as strategically important due to Azerbaijan’s geographic proximity to Iran and its growing influence in regional security affairs.
