AZERBAIJAN’S ISRAELI WEAPONS: A LOT FOR ARMENIA, BUT A LITTLE FOR IRAN, TOO?
EurasiaNet.org
April 12 2012
NY
When Israel announced that it was selling $1.6 billion in arms to
Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani government officials took pains to assure
their neighbors in Iran that the weapons were intended for a war
with Armenia over Nagorno Karabakh, not for Iran. Well, Azerbaijan’s
Turan news agency got hold of some details of the weapons package,
and while there aren’t too many surprises, there is one element that
might raise eyebrows in Tehran.
According to Turan’s report, Baku’s haul includes five Searcher and
five Heron drones, Barak-8 air defense systems and Green Pine missile
defense radar. All of that would, indeed, be useful against Armenia
(or any other foe, really.)
But one item in the deal stands out: Gabriel anti-ship missiles.
Obviously, landlocked Armenia doesn’t have a navy. But one country
has been a consistent irritant to Azerbaijan on the sea: Iran. As
Turan writes: “Azerbaijan will use these to protect its Caspian Sea
coast from the growing number of Iranian warships being introduced
in the area.”
That’s not to say that Azerbaijan is going to get involved in any
Israeli or U.S. attack on Iran. Independent of the issues the West
has with Iran, Azerbaijan is worried about Iranian encroachment on its
Caspian Sea oil and gas infrastructure, which has fueled the country’s
booming economy. No one around the Caspian particularly trusts Iran,
so it’s an understandable move. But you can still expect this to be
brought up next time Iranian and Azerbaijani officials meet.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
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