Iran’s Fars News Agency, closely tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), published an unusually harsh critique this week targeting both Azerbaijan and Israel, following their joint participation in the Eurovision Song Contest.
“Once again, Azerbaijan has revealed the shameful and covert nature of its ties with the Zionist regime,” read the statement.
The source of outrage: Azerbaijan was represented by a Jewish singer and awarded 12 points to Israel, while Israel was represented by a contestant of Azerbaijani descent.
According to Fars, “The bitter truth has been exposed: not two countries – one nation, but rather two nations – one state. A state that sows division among Islamic countries.”
These statements align with Iran’s longstanding hostility toward its Shiite-majority neighbor Azerbaijan, which Tehran views as having transformed into “a Zionist outpost in the Caucasus” due to its growing strategic, commercial, and cultural ties with Israel. Unlike Iran, where Jews are reluctant to express their identity publicly, Azerbaijan openly celebrates Jewish holidays, hosts Israeli flags at public events, and welcomes rabbis as guests of honor.
The strength of the alliance was evident during the most recent Eurovision, when Azerbaijan awarded Israel the maximum 12 points from both its professional jury and the public vote. The gesture was welcomed in Jerusalem and provoked fury in Tehran.
This week, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz met with Azerbaijani Defense Minister Gen. Zakir Hasanov to further deepen the strategic and defense cooperation between the two nations. In an uncommon diplomatic move, Katz thanked Hasanov for Azerbaijan’s Eurovision vote and its mediation efforts between Israel and Turkey. He also expressed appreciation for Azerbaijan’s firm support for Israel following the October 7 Hamas terror attack, and asked that his gratitude be conveyed to President Ilham Aliyev.
Tehran’s reaction has gone beyond cultural commentary. Iran has a documented history of antisemitic propaganda, including a cartoon depicting Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev dressed as an Orthodox Jew, complete with a skullcap and sidelocks, labeled “Rabbi Ilham Alef.” The cartoon was created by a researcher at a state-affiliated Iranian institute and widely circulated in Armenia, Azerbaijan’s regional rival and a close ally of Iran.
Beyond rhetoric, Iran has issued threats, conducted military exercises along the Azerbaijani border, and released Azeri-language videos aimed at intimidating both Azerbaijan and Israel. In one video produced by the IRGC, it was declared: “The road to Jerusalem runs through Baku.”
With ties between Baku and Jerusalem continuing to strengthen, Iran’s mounting pressure is unsurprising. However, the fact that a cross-cultural event like Eurovision became a trigger for such an aggressive outburst underscores the deepening geopolitical rift between Tehran and Baku.