Washington, DC
Israel secretly deployed elite army and intelligence models to Azerbaijan during the war with Iran as a part of a community of covert websites throughout the Middle East to facilitate operations in opposition to Iran, 4 sources aware of the matter mentioned.
The forces operated out of a number of places in southern Azerbaijan, two of the sources mentioned, adjoining to Iran’s northern border and, at its closest level, solely about 60 miles from the Iranian metropolis of Tabriz, which Israel struck during the battle.
Special commando models had been additionally deployed to the situation and carried out intelligence-gathering missions and drone operations, the opposite two sources mentioned, giving Israel a priceless perch from which to see into northern Iran during the battle.
The secret deployment to Azerbaijan, reported by NCS for the primary time, was certainly one of a number of army positions Israel maintained throughout the Middle East that gave its army unprecedented attain, highlighting the function Iran’s neighbors performed — some with permission, some possible with out — in facilitating operations in opposition to Tehran and changing into entangled within the battle.
The places in Azerbaijan had been amongst quite a few covert army websites and bases in a number of international locations, the sources instructed NCS, together with in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Somaliland. The forces, initially deliberate as potential rescue groups within the occasion of an emergency, expanded in scope to change into army and intelligence gathering positions.
Together, the deployments described by the sources positioned Israeli forces alongside Iran’s southern, western, and northern periphery during the battle, extending the army’s vary by tons of of miles, deep into Iranian territory. The ahead positions helped Israel maintain repeated waves of strikes in opposition to targets throughout the nation.
The Azerbaijan operation consisted of a number of dozen troops, together with members of Israel’s particular operations forces, its elite heliborne fight and rescue drive, and Mossad personnel, one of many sources mentioned.
A spokesperson for the Azerbaijani embassy within the United States mentioned in a press release to NCS, “We firmly reject unfounded claims regarding the alleged use of Azerbaijan’s territory for operations against third countries.”
NCS has reached out to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and Israel Defense Forces for remark.
Meanwhile, the breakaway republic of Somaliland on the Horn of Africa supplied Israel with a further army place, one of many sources mentioned, permitting Israeli plane some extent to probably cease on long-range flights to Iran. In December, Israel grew to become the primary nation to formally acknowledge Somaliland, and the UAE maintains an expansive industrial and army presence within the port metropolis of Berbera.
NCS, which is the primary to report on using covert Israeli army websites in Somaliland, has reached out to its international ministry for remark.
The Israeli army additionally maintained two secret amenities in Iraq during a part of the battle with Iran, offering Israel with ahead bases for logistics assist and, if wanted, search and rescue operations. The two websites in Iraq had been first reported by the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. In a press release, Iraq’s army mentioned there have been no “unauthorized bases or forces” within the nation as of early March.
Israel additionally quietly deployed an Iron Dome aerial protection battery to the UAE – and the troops to function it – during the battle with Iran, first reported by Axios, in addition to different protection programs. NCS has beforehand reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the top of the Mossad and Israel’s army chief visited the UAE during the battle. The revelation prompted a robust denial of the go to from the UAE.
The army presence in Azerbaijan gave Israel one other base from which to conduct aerial rescue missions in case of downed pilots in addition to positions from which to spy on Iran.
Israel has lengthy considered Azerbaijan as a strategic associate in its struggle in opposition to Iran, and the preparations started weeks earlier than the opening strikes of the battle. In mid-January, as Iran crushed wide-scale protests with the mass killing of demonstrators, Israel ready a covert mission alongside the Azerbaijan-Iran border, two of the sources aware of the plans instructed NCS. The sources described it as a preliminary operation laying the groundwork for extra steps by putting in listening gadgets and intelligence tools within the space.
Israel was planning to execute the operation below cowl of what had been to be the opening strikes of the battle in mid-January. But US President Donald Trump known as off the strikes on the final minute, saying that Iran had agreed to cease the killing of demonstrators.
Israel proceeded by itself.
The Israeli Air Force used stealth jets and particular forces as a part of the operation to set up the gadgets, as Israel’s political management believed negotiations between the US and Iran had been doomed to fail. The intelligence-gathering web site grew to become one other means by which Israel might accumulate info on Iranian army actions and amenities, in addition to probably offering early warning of missile launches.
Less than two weeks later, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited Baku, assembly with the Azerbaijani president and different high officers. In May 2025, Azerbaijan additionally secretly hosted rare direct talks between Israel and Syria.
One of the important thing operations launched from Azerbaijan, one of many sources mentioned, was the killing on March 4 of Rahman Moghaddam, who led the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) intelligence division and who Israel mentioned was accountable for planning an assassination try in opposition to Trump in 2024. One day later, drones struck an airport in Azerbaijan’s enclave of Nakhchivan, damaging a terminal constructing and wounding a number of folks. President Ilham Aliyev blamed Iran, calling it “an act of terror” that was “ugly, cowardly and shameless.” Iran denied launching the drones.
On March 6, Azerbaijan’s State Security Service introduced that it had damaged up an IRGC plot to assault vital infrastructure, in addition to Israeli and Jewish targets. Weeks later, Israel publicly acknowledged that it was a joint operation, involving the Mossad, Israeli army, and Shin Bet safety service.
Israel and Azerbaijan keep shut ties round industrial and army pursuits. Baku supplies Israel with a big share of its oil. In return, Israel sells Azerbaijan superior weaponry, a few of which had been used within the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts in 2016 and 2020 in opposition to Armenia. Azerbaijan was additionally the primary international nation to buy Israel’s Iron Dome aerial protection system in 2016.
“Israeli strategy in Azerbaijan remains deliberately low-profile, relying on arms transfers, intelligence cooperation, and long-term technological interdependence in the security sector,” wrote Gershon Kogan, a specialist on Iran on the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, earlier than the Iran battle started.
The relationship additionally provides Azerbaijan entry to a vital diplomatic useful resource, in accordance to Joshua Kucera, a senior analyst for the Crisis Group, permitting Baku to make the most of Israel’s foyer in Washington, DC.
“Azerbaijan is increasingly trying to position itself as a regional power, and that includes being a sort of bridge at times between Israel and Arab and other states,” Kucera mentioned.
“If Israel is a tool in helping Azerbaijan combat IRGC destabilization efforts, it’s very secret,” Kucera mentioned.