Azerbaijan no base for anti-Iran moves: Azeri defense min.

Azeri Defense Minister Lieutenant General Zakir Hasanov has said Baku will not allow its territory to be used for any action against the Islamic Republic.

In a meeting with Iranian Deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General Qasem Taqizadeh in Baku on Saturday, the Azeri minister said his country will by no means allow its soil and airspace to be used against the Islamic Republic.

He said Tehran and Baku enjoy longstanding friendship, adding that Azerbaijan attaches great significance to good ties with Iran.

The Azeri official also called for the development of defense cooperation between the two neighboring countries.

The Iranian official, for his part, said the Islamic Republic is ready to further develop defense ties with Azerbaijan.

Last month, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said its forces had intercepted and shot down an Israeli spy drone with a surface-to-air missile. The Israeli-made Hermes drone was heading to Natanz nuclear facility in the central Iranian province of Isfahan.

Some media reports claimed that the drone was launched from Azerbaijan’s territory. Azeri officials have denied the reports.