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Panorama.am held an interview with Iranian studies expert Armen Israyelyan about the new wave of tension in relations between Iran and Azerbaijan and its reasons. 

- What was the main aim of the Iran visit of head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev?

- Tehran demanded explanations from Mehdiyev concerning Azerbaijani Foreign Minister’s Israel visit. It is noteworthy that state-run Iranian media, covering Mehdiyev’s Iran visit, first introduced him as Secretary of Azerbaijan's National Security Council. So we may conclude that Iran was interested in security issues. As a rule, some Azerbaijani high-ranking official is “hosted” by Tehran for the purpose of giving explanations following some significant event in Azerbaijan-Israel relations. Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev visited Tehran after Azerbaijan and Israel signed an agreement on purchase of weapons in early 2012. In Tehran, Abiyev said that the small Azerbaijan will not undertake any actions against the great Iran, but Azerbaijani media refuted Abiyev’s statement immediately after he returned to Baku.

- How would you assess the results of Mehdiyev’s Iran visit?

- The tension in Azerbaijan-Iran relations increases after each visit of an Azerbaijani high-ranking official to Iran. Ali Hasanov, head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration's department for social and political affairs, visited Iran in December 2011, and the chief of Iran’s TV/radio Company’s Baku department Ahmad Kazemi was deported from Azerbaijan together with his family the next day. Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev’s visit to Iran in March 2012 was followed by arrests of 22 people by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of National Security for high treason. Mehdiyev’s visit to Iran was followed by the arrests of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences researcher Khaled Khaleda and her assistant by Iranian security forces for espionage, and one of the Azerbaijani courts accused the three Russian citizens who attempted to blow up the Israeli embassy of having links with Iran.

- Azerbaijan has repeatedly said that the military cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan is not directed against Iran. Do you think Tehran believes Baku’s assurances?

- Azerbaijan carries out double foreign policy. Ramiz Mehdiyev, in Tehran, told Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Iran is a great friend of Azerbaijan and criticized the West, while almost at the same time the member of a delegation of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration announced in Washington that Tehran intervenes in Azerbaijan’s foreign policy and asked the United States for support.

Azerbaijan carries out double policy not only towards the West but also towards the Islamic countries. As a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Azerbaijan uses the support of Islamic countries at international instances to secure its political goals, but at the same time we see how mosques are destroyed in Azerbaijan, people are sentenced for religious activities and for wearing hijab. Moreover, some of the arrested religious figures are accused of cooperation with Iran. 

- Do you think Iran gives an adequate response to Azerbaijan’s policy?

- I think as an influential member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Iran should draw the attention of Islamic countries to the fact that Baku carries out double policy, and raise the issue of depriving Azerbaijan of membership in that organization. As for an adequate assessment, I think tension in Iran-Azerbaijan relations has reached a point where diplomatic correctness gives no results and therefore Tehran should express a clear position to restrain Baku’s anti-Iranian policy, otherwise the Baku-led anti-Iranian campaign will be joined by Turkey. We already witness it. In that case, Iran will suffer irreversible damage.

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