Azerbaijan conducts air-defense drills near neighbor Iran

Shafaq News/ Azerbaijan's military conducted air-defense drills this week, just days after neighboring Iran carried out naval exercises near their shared border.

The drills, part of Azerbaijan’s 2024 training plan, involved the country’s Air Defense Units in tactical-special exercises.

According to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, "combat crews of the S-300 Favorit anti-aircraft missile complexes brought the equipment to combat readiness, moved to designated positions, and successfully completed tasks related to area preparation and camouflage."

The ministry's statement also noted that the exercises focused on protecting critical infrastructure from air attacks and repelling simulated enemy rocket strikes. "The aim of these exercises is to enhance the theoretical knowledge and practical skills of military personnel, and to maintain a high level of combat readiness within the air defense units," the statement said.

These drills follow closely on the heels of Iranian naval exercises conducted in the Caspian Sea, in a region close to the border with Azerbaijan. The exercises come at a time of strained relations between the two nations, with Azerbaijan being a close ally of Israel.

Azerbaijan’s embassy in Tehran recently reopened after being closed since January 2023, following an armed attack. The reopening of the embassy marks a tentative step toward mending relations, which have been under pressure since the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

During the 2020 war, Azerbaijan, equipped with advanced Israeli and Turkish military technology, regained control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region—a territory that had been outside Baku's control since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Last week, Azerbaijan denied foreign media reports that suggested an Israeli military presence in the country, further underlining the sensitive nature of its regional alliances.