The Azerbaijani government yesterday (Tuesday) approved the publication in "Israel Today" about the closure of various pro-Iranian institutions throughout the country, but justified this with the corona virus.
Among other things, they confirmed that the branch of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei in Baku, as well as the Husseiniya Mosque, had been closed.
"Both of these institutions were closed as part of operations to fight the corona," Azerbaijan Interior Ministry spokesman Ahsan Zahidov claimed.
"One of the places where the corona virus has been common recently is the Husseinia Mosque. Like other places, the mosque has also closed."
The closure of the institutions in general and the office of Khamenei's emissary - Ali Akbar Ojkangjat in particular, and of course the Azeri reasoning raises questions.
This is in view of the ongoing tensions between Tehran and Baku and the Iranian plan to assassinate Israelis in Cyprus using a mercenary from Azerbaijan.
Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdullahian and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan, Photo: AFP
At the same time, developments throughout the South Caucasus did not stop.
In Turkey, it was reported that Iran had closed, without warning, the Kapıköy border crossing between the two countries.
Also in this case, the rationale was the corona virus.
However, this does not prevent Ankara from continuing its arms shipments to Azerbaijan. Announced that it would not allow the passage of Azeri military aircraft in its territory - on their way to Nakhchiban.
At the same time, Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdullahian took off for Moscow yesterday, as part of an Iranian attempt to harness Russia to support the interests of Tehran and Iran in the South Caucasus.
"We expect Russia to respond to possible changes in the borders of the countries in the region," Abdullahian said.
"They must help fight the presence of terrorists and the maneuvers of the Zionist regime that harm peace, stability and regional security."
Iranian military exercise held near border with Azerbaijan, Photo: IPI
Even in Tehran itself, the discourse remains violent.
"The Zionist regime strives to achieve vicious goals that will ignite the flames of war in the region due to the strategic mistakes of the Azerbaijani government," said the chairman of the Iranian Strategic Council for International Relations - Kamel Harazi. In foreign powers and turned to foreign forces.
We advise our neighbor not to try to 'buy security' from foreign forces. "