BAKU, Azerbaijan, Despite being pressured by sanctions, bashed by international community for its way of handling the ongoing domestic protests, Iran still looking to benefit from the current geopolitical situation, says the article by J.D.Hayworth published on American Greatness website.
Iran’s efforts to exert control over the region are now underway, given Russia’s efforts being directed towards Ukraine, and with Armenia being used as the Islamic Republic’s ally, says the article.
Azerbaijan, having the common border with Iran and millions of ethnic Azerbaijanis living in Iran as well, felt this intent of Iran. In particular, when on Jan. 27, Azerbaijan’s embassy in Iran was stormed by an armed man. The gunman killed head of the security service and wounded two embassy guards. Following the assault, Azerbaijan evacuated its officials from the embassy, including those who suffered as a result of the attack and completely suspended the work of the embassy in Tehran. While Azerbaijan called it a terror attack, Iran remained silent.
This wasn’t all however.
“Only weeks before, Iranian missile systems and the same “suicide” drones sold to Russia in Ukraine were transferred to Azerbaijan’s enemy and Iran’s other northern neighbor, Armenia. In addition to those military moves, a new Iranian consulate in Armenia was opened just two miles from Azerbaijan’s border,” the article said.
Why is all this happening now? The article says it has to do with Iran failing for years to ‘export the revolution” into the Caucasus, while now it sees the current realities as the right moment to ‘fill the vacuum’. This is happening, as the author says, due to Iran’s neighbors having their own share of problems.
Such moves by Iran, along with its handling of the terror attack on Azerbaijani embassy, proves Iran’s true intentions.
The article claims that ‘Iranian efforts will begin with Armenia because that nation offers an “open door”, which combined with Russia not providing Armenia with the help it needs, Armenia seeks Iran as a new security guarantor.’
While Azerbaijan has always tried to treat its southern neighbor with respect, the doesn’t go vice versa, despite bold statements from the very top in the Islamic Republic.
The author also points to the US, that it needs to use the moment to help stop Iran’s spreading influence.
If “Iran’s malignant influence isn’t contained, it will keep spreading, in particular on the Caucasus”, says the story. This, however isn’t news for Azerbaijan, which has long understood what Iran is all about when it comes to ‘good neighborliness’ and ‘friendship’.
Source: TREND News Agency