21 Muslim-majority countries issued a joint condemnation of Israel’s actions, but Azerbaijan opted to stay silent—sparking accusations of betrayal from Iran.
Iran-Israel war: In a massive development amid the ongoing Iran-Israel war, Azerbaijan’s reported silence on the matter of supporting Iran has stirred controversy across the Muslim world especially in the nations like Turkey and Pakistan. According to a recent report by TV9 Hindi, 21 Muslim-majority countries issued a joint condemnation of Israel’s actions, but Azerbaijan opted to stay silent—sparking accusations of betrayal from Iran. Here are all the details you need to know about the recent action from Azerbaijan.
This decision comes as a surprise, considering Azerbaijan’s longstanding alignment with key Islamic nations like Pakistan and Turkey. However, analysts suggest that Baku’s motives are deeply rooted in economic and strategic interests. One of the major reasons cited is Azerbaijan’s substantial oil trade with Israel, which exceeded one million tonnes last year. Any open support for Iran could risk jeopardizing this lucrative partnership.
Azerbaijan reopens land border with Iran
Dozens of foreign national, mainly Russians, arrived at Astara checkpoint on June 14 in Azerbaijan as Baku temporarily reopened border with Iran to allow people fleeing Israeli airstrikes to evacuate. The first group of evacuees listed 86 persons, two of them children, the Russian Foreign ministry said. It said in a statement that the Israeli attacks on Iran made it urgent to evacuate Russian citizens.
The Russian ministry issued a warning to refrain from travel to both Iran or Israel and urged the compatriots to leave the dangerous areas and observe safety measures. The ministry posted in its telegram channel a video of a coach arriving at the checkpoint and a still photograph showing passengers on board.
The first group of evacuees included the Russian Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra and film crew headed by renowned actor and director Fyodor Bondarchuk as well as citizens from Belarus, Serbia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the foreign ministry said.
(With inputs from agencies)
