CNN reports that Israel secretly deployed elite military and intelligence units to Azerbaijan during its war with Iran, using the country as part of a wider network of covert sites across the Middle East that expanded Israel’s operational reach against Iranian targets. According to four sources familiar with the matter, the Israeli forces operated from several locations in southern Azerbaijan, near Iran’s northern border and close enough to monitor activity in the Iranian city of Tabriz, which was struck during the conflict.
The deployment reportedly included special commando units, members of Israel’s elite rescue and heliborne forces, and Mossad personnel. Their mission involved intelligence gathering, drone operations, and potential rescue support for downed pilots. The sources said the positions gave Israel a rare vantage point into northern Iran and helped support repeated waves of strikes during the war.
CNN says the Azerbaijan operation was one of several covert Israeli military positions across the region, with other sites in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Somaliland. In some cases, the positions began as backup rescue teams before expanding into intelligence and operational hubs. Together, the sites placed Israeli forces along Iran’s northern, western, and southern periphery, extending their reach by hundreds of miles.
Azerbaijan denied allowing its territory to be used against third countries. Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office and Defense Forces did not comment. CNN also reported that Somaliland provided Israel with another strategic position on the Horn of Africa, potentially useful as a stopover for long-range aircraft heading toward Iran. In Iraq, Israel is said to have maintained two secret facilities for logistics and rescue support, while the UAE hosted an Iron Dome battery and other defense systems during the conflict.
The report says preparations in Azerbaijan began weeks before the war’s opening strikes, including efforts to install listening devices and intelligence equipment along the Azerbaijan-Iran border. Those plans were initially tied to a possible first wave of attacks in mid-January, before the operation moved forward independently after U.S. President Donald Trump called off an earlier strike plan. Israeli stealth jets and special forces were then used to carry out the covert mission, according to the sources.
The Azerbaijan site reportedly played a role in later operations, including the March 4 killing of Rahman Moghaddam, the head of the IRGC intelligence division, whom Israel accused of involvement in a planned assassination attempt against Trump. The report also links the site to a drone strike in Nakhchivan and to a March 6 announcement by Azerbaijan that it had disrupted an IRGC plot targeting critical infrastructure and Israeli and Jewish sites.
Israel and Azerbaijan have long maintained close security and commercial ties. Baku supplies Israel with oil, while Israel sells Azerbaijan advanced weapons and defense systems, including Iron Dome. Analysts say the relationship gives Azerbaijan strategic leverage and offers Israel a discreet partner near Iran.
