The focus has shifted back to the helicopter crash that claimed the life of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, with Tehran directing its attention towards neighboring Azerbaijan. Raisi died in a mountainous region on May 19, 2024, after his helicopter went down while returning from an area bordering Azerbaijan. Iran’s accusations stem from the belief that a neighboring nation assisted a Mossad plot.
Iranian diplomat Mehdi Sobhani has alleged that Israel was aided by neighboring countries during its operations within Iran. He specifically claimed that Israeli drones entered Iranian territory from Azerbaijan. Sobhani made these accusations during a press conference on June 27, adding that Iran has information on Israel’s actions and has requested Azerbaijan to investigate. This aligns with earlier reports from Iranian state media, which cited intelligence suggesting Israel had smuggled mini UAVs into Iran.
The strained relationship between Iran and Azerbaijan, partially due to Azerbaijan’s close ties with Israel, has fueled suspicions surrounding the crash. The potential for a fresh inquiry arises from Iran’s claims of Azerbaijan’s involvement with Mossad. Despite the official investigation’s initial findings, which attributed the crash to adverse weather conditions, the current situation has triggered renewed scrutiny.
Azerbaijan has refuted Sobhani’s claims, deeming them baseless and provocative. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stated that the remarks lack credible evidence and urged Iran to prevent such actions. Furthermore, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev was requested by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to conduct a probe into Israel’s alleged use of its territory to smuggle UAVs.
