Elite Israeli Forces Covertly Operated in Azerbaijan During Iran Conflict

2026-06-05 global

Jerusalem, Friday, 5 June 2026.
Reports reveal Israel secretly deployed elite military units to Azerbaijan during the recent Iran conflict. Operating just 96 kilometers from Iran, this covert network significantly expanded Israel’s strategic reach.

Expanding the Operational Theater

Recent disclosures from June 4 and June 5, 2026, indicate that Israel’s military strategy involved the covert insertion of several dozen elite personnel into southern Azerbaijan [1][2][3]. These units, comprising special operations forces, heliborne combat and rescue teams, and Mossad operatives, were positioned approximately 96.56 to 100 kilometers from the Iranian city of Tabriz [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Initially dispatched as emergency search-and-rescue squads to recover downed pilots during the conflict with Iran, their mandate rapidly expanded [3][5]. By January 2026, Israeli forces had installed sophisticated surveillance and intelligence-gathering equipment along the border to monitor Iranian military movements and provide early warnings for missile launches [4]. When United States President Donald Trump called off broader planned strikes in mid-January 2026, Israel chose to proceed independently, utilizing stealth aircraft and special forces to execute its strategic objectives [4].

High-Stakes Assassinations and Retaliation

The tactical advantage provided by these forward operating bases culminated in high-profile targeted strikes. On March 4, 2026, an operation launched from Azerbaijani territory resulted in the assassination of Rahman Moghaddam, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Special Operations Division and intelligence directorate [1][3][4][6]. Moghaddam was allegedly the mastermind behind a 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump [6]. The Iranian response was immediate; on March 5, 2026, an Iranian drone struck an airport terminal in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave, causing structural damage and several injuries [1][4][6].

Strategic Interdependence and Global Markets

The covert military cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan is underpinned by a robust, long-standing economic framework. Azerbaijan supplies a significant portion of Israel’s oil, a critical energy lifeline that is traded for advanced Israeli military weaponry [1]. This defense trade includes the 2016 acquisition of the Iron Dome system and various armaments that Azerbaijan actively deployed during the 2016 and 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts against Armenia [1]. According to Joshua Kucera, a senior analyst for the Crisis Group, Azerbaijan is increasingly positioning itself as a regional power, acting as a geopolitical bridge between Israel and other states [1][4]. Gershon Kogan, an Iran specialist at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, noted that Israel’s strategy in Azerbaijan remains deliberately low-profile, rooted in arms transfers and long-term technological interdependence in the security sector [1].

Sources

Middle East Geopolitics