Azerbaijan Bans Iranian Media Outlets Citing Propaganda Against State Sovereignty

On Wednesday, Azerbaijan announced a ban on two Iranian media outlets operating within its borders, following Iran's Intelligence Ministry decision to prohibit the Azerbaijani state channel and label it as a hostile media organization. The Azerbaijani government declared that the Iranian channel "Sakhar" and the news agency "Mehr" are forbidden from operating in Azerbaijan, and their representatives are barred from the country. The Baku Communication Development Agency accused these Iranian media outlets of conducting propaganda against Azerbaijan's sovereignty, constitutional order, territorial integrity, and national security.

This move comes amid heightened tensions between the two countries. Last month, CNN reported that Israel had secretly deployed elite units in Azerbaijan during its conflict with Iran. According to multiple sources, Israeli forces operated from several locations in southern Azerbaijan near the Iranian border, approximately 96 kilometers from the Iranian city of Tabriz, which Israel targeted during the conflict. Additional sources revealed that special commando units were also deployed in the area, conducting intelligence gathering and drone operations, providing Israel with valuable surveillance capabilities deep inside northern Iran during the war.