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IRAN SEEKING CLOSER TIES AMID RISING TENSION WITH US
AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
April 27 2006
A high-ranking Iranian military official held talks in Azerbaijan
last week in what many see as the neighboring country's attempt to
forge closer ties amid escalating tensions with the United States.
The Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Muhammad Najjar said the Azeri
leader's upcoming talks in Washington could alter the U.S. policy
on Iran.
"We believe President Ilham Aliyev will urge American officials to
see things the way they are and be rational. This may convince them to
abandon their actions. But this does not mean Azerbaijanis will act as
mediators, as they can only explain our position to Americans," Najjar
told the press after talks with officials in Baku on Thursday. Western
countries suspect Iran of seeking nuclear weapons under the cover of
a civilian atomic program, a charge Iran denies saying its uranium
enrichment activities are peaceful.
The UN Security Council has lately given Iran 30 days to comply owing
to the pressure built by the US. The Iranian embassy on Friday flatly
dismissed media reports suggesting that the defense minister tabled
the issue of Azerbaijan's mediation in US-Iran talks. The Iranian
minister described the reports saying the US plans to declare a war
on Iran as mere talk. "We have never been afraid of Americans. The
US has been threatening Iran for 27 years and this is not new to
us. We are ready to resolve all issues through talks, but if we are
confronted with something, we are ready to deal with it," Najjar
said. US President George Bush says he is using diplomacy to curb
Iran's atomic ambitions, but does not rule out a military option,
including a nuclear strike, to prevent the Islamic republic from
acquiring nuclear weapons. "Iran's nuclear program is peaceful, but
some countries trying to present it as a source of tension will not
achieve their goal. We do not see implementation of the program as
such and intend to proceed with it," the minister said. Najjar said
consistent work in this area is underway and his country continues
to develop its atomic program in compliance with the demands and
wishes of millions of Iranians. "We have already completed uranium
enrichment and even held celebrations on this occasion attended by
the Azeri ambassador to Tehran Abbasali Hasanov," he said. Najjar
dismissed reports saying his country is cooperating with Armenia in
the military field. "This information is completely wide of the mark.
This has never happened and will not happen." The Iranian minister
said his country is interested in expanding military ties with
Azerbaijan. "The goal of my visit is to expand collaboration
in line with the agreements signed by our countries. Tehran may
assist Azerbaijan in developing its defense industry and we can
exchange relevant experience," he said. Azerbaijani Defense Minister
Safar Abiyev called on Iran to assist Azerbaijan in finding a fair
settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh, during a meeting with his Iranian counterpart. He emphasized
that Armenia's policy is the main obstacle for security in the
region. Muhammad Najjar, in turn, said his country is ready to provide
such assistance, adding that Iran has always supported Azerbaijan's
territorial integrity. An MP from the ruling New Azerbaijan Party,
Mubariz Gurbanli, said Azerbaijan plans to stick to a balanced policy
on the crisis over Iran. "Azerbaijan and Iran have an agreement banning
the use of their territories by another country for an offensive on
either state. Azerbaijan remains faithful to the document." However,
many in the country doubt Baku will be able to retain its neutral
stance on the Iran issue. The editor-in-chief of opposition Azadlig
newspaper, Ganimat Zahidov, says that in the best-case scenario, the
Azeri government, taking into account the balance of forces, may trim
its sails either in favor of the US or Iran. "By defending the United
States, Azerbaijan may come under overt and indirect interference
on the part of Iran. A recent visit by the Iranian defense minister
to Baku indicated how dangerous this may be," Zahidov said. Zahidov
said, however, supporting Iran could pose even a greater threat. "It
should be taken into account that Azerbaijan is facing a sensitive
problem like the Upper Garabagh conflict. Defending Iran would prove
even more perilous." The newspaper editor went on to say that acting
as Iran's partner could also hamper Azerbaijan's integration into
Europe. "This could be a setback for the country both in terms of
human rights and economic development.
Moreover, its position on the Garabagh conflict may weaken," said
Zahidov. Nonetheless, some experts say that supporting Iran could
bring Azerbaijan certain dividends. The Azadlig editor said joining
the international anti-Iran coalition could considerably strengthen
the country's ties with the United States, but warned that it would
be hard to fathom the potential benefits. In general, the Azeri
public does not support moves to join the anti-Iran coalition and is
opposed to granting permission for the use of the country's territory
for a possible strike. A launch of hostilities could have dire
ramifications. Apart from the threats arising in borderline regions,
hostilities would affect Iran's 30-million ethnic Azeri population.
The director of the Caspian Studies Program at Harvard University
Brenda Shaffer says there was a specific objective behind the Iranian
defense minister's visit. "The Iranians are interested in showing
to the world that they have good relations with neighbors because
in the event of [US] sanctions or military action, the reaction of
Iran's neighbors will have to be reckoned with. This, however, does
not mean that the Iranian minister has been putting any pressure
on Azerbaijan," Shaffer said. With regard to the possibility that
Azerbaijan may broker a US-Iranian dialogue, Shaffer said it was
possible, albeit not necessary. "The point is that Iran already has
such relations with Russia and Europe and there is no need for yet
another mediator," she said. She said it was highly unlikely that Iran
might provide Azerbaijan with any assistance in its conflict with
Armenia over Garabagh. "Iran has forged warm relations with Armenia
and Upper Garabagh in particular. When I was in Garabagh, I saw a
great number of Iranian cars there. Obviously, this being the case,
Iran would not be able to provide any assistance to Azerbaijan,"
Shaffer said. As far as President Ilham Aliyev's upcoming visit to
the US is concerned, the researcher said it was a major success of the
Azerbaijani diplomacy. She said it showed the geo-strategic importance
Azerbaijan represents to the USA. "In the event of economic sanctions
against Iran, Azerbaijan's borders will represent special importance
to the West. Obviously the issue will be discussed by Presidents Ilham
Aliyev and George Bush. Under such circumstances, Aliyev may well say
to his US counterpart that while Azerbaijan is actively cooperating
with the West in such important issues, Baku was also in need of the
West's cooperation in resolving the Garabagh conflict. This meeting
could produce tangible results," Shaffer said.
AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
April 27 2006
A high-ranking Iranian military official held talks in Azerbaijan
last week in what many see as the neighboring country's attempt to
forge closer ties amid escalating tensions with the United States.
The Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Muhammad Najjar said the Azeri
leader's upcoming talks in Washington could alter the U.S. policy
on Iran.
"We believe President Ilham Aliyev will urge American officials to
see things the way they are and be rational. This may convince them to
abandon their actions. But this does not mean Azerbaijanis will act as
mediators, as they can only explain our position to Americans," Najjar
told the press after talks with officials in Baku on Thursday. Western
countries suspect Iran of seeking nuclear weapons under the cover of
a civilian atomic program, a charge Iran denies saying its uranium
enrichment activities are peaceful.
The UN Security Council has lately given Iran 30 days to comply owing
to the pressure built by the US. The Iranian embassy on Friday flatly
dismissed media reports suggesting that the defense minister tabled
the issue of Azerbaijan's mediation in US-Iran talks. The Iranian
minister described the reports saying the US plans to declare a war
on Iran as mere talk. "We have never been afraid of Americans. The
US has been threatening Iran for 27 years and this is not new to
us. We are ready to resolve all issues through talks, but if we are
confronted with something, we are ready to deal with it," Najjar
said. US President George Bush says he is using diplomacy to curb
Iran's atomic ambitions, but does not rule out a military option,
including a nuclear strike, to prevent the Islamic republic from
acquiring nuclear weapons. "Iran's nuclear program is peaceful, but
some countries trying to present it as a source of tension will not
achieve their goal. We do not see implementation of the program as
such and intend to proceed with it," the minister said. Najjar said
consistent work in this area is underway and his country continues
to develop its atomic program in compliance with the demands and
wishes of millions of Iranians. "We have already completed uranium
enrichment and even held celebrations on this occasion attended by
the Azeri ambassador to Tehran Abbasali Hasanov," he said. Najjar
dismissed reports saying his country is cooperating with Armenia in
the military field. "This information is completely wide of the mark.
This has never happened and will not happen." The Iranian minister
said his country is interested in expanding military ties with
Azerbaijan. "The goal of my visit is to expand collaboration
in line with the agreements signed by our countries. Tehran may
assist Azerbaijan in developing its defense industry and we can
exchange relevant experience," he said. Azerbaijani Defense Minister
Safar Abiyev called on Iran to assist Azerbaijan in finding a fair
settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh, during a meeting with his Iranian counterpart. He emphasized
that Armenia's policy is the main obstacle for security in the
region. Muhammad Najjar, in turn, said his country is ready to provide
such assistance, adding that Iran has always supported Azerbaijan's
territorial integrity. An MP from the ruling New Azerbaijan Party,
Mubariz Gurbanli, said Azerbaijan plans to stick to a balanced policy
on the crisis over Iran. "Azerbaijan and Iran have an agreement banning
the use of their territories by another country for an offensive on
either state. Azerbaijan remains faithful to the document." However,
many in the country doubt Baku will be able to retain its neutral
stance on the Iran issue. The editor-in-chief of opposition Azadlig
newspaper, Ganimat Zahidov, says that in the best-case scenario, the
Azeri government, taking into account the balance of forces, may trim
its sails either in favor of the US or Iran. "By defending the United
States, Azerbaijan may come under overt and indirect interference
on the part of Iran. A recent visit by the Iranian defense minister
to Baku indicated how dangerous this may be," Zahidov said. Zahidov
said, however, supporting Iran could pose even a greater threat. "It
should be taken into account that Azerbaijan is facing a sensitive
problem like the Upper Garabagh conflict. Defending Iran would prove
even more perilous." The newspaper editor went on to say that acting
as Iran's partner could also hamper Azerbaijan's integration into
Europe. "This could be a setback for the country both in terms of
human rights and economic development.
Moreover, its position on the Garabagh conflict may weaken," said
Zahidov. Nonetheless, some experts say that supporting Iran could
bring Azerbaijan certain dividends. The Azadlig editor said joining
the international anti-Iran coalition could considerably strengthen
the country's ties with the United States, but warned that it would
be hard to fathom the potential benefits. In general, the Azeri
public does not support moves to join the anti-Iran coalition and is
opposed to granting permission for the use of the country's territory
for a possible strike. A launch of hostilities could have dire
ramifications. Apart from the threats arising in borderline regions,
hostilities would affect Iran's 30-million ethnic Azeri population.
The director of the Caspian Studies Program at Harvard University
Brenda Shaffer says there was a specific objective behind the Iranian
defense minister's visit. "The Iranians are interested in showing
to the world that they have good relations with neighbors because
in the event of [US] sanctions or military action, the reaction of
Iran's neighbors will have to be reckoned with. This, however, does
not mean that the Iranian minister has been putting any pressure
on Azerbaijan," Shaffer said. With regard to the possibility that
Azerbaijan may broker a US-Iranian dialogue, Shaffer said it was
possible, albeit not necessary. "The point is that Iran already has
such relations with Russia and Europe and there is no need for yet
another mediator," she said. She said it was highly unlikely that Iran
might provide Azerbaijan with any assistance in its conflict with
Armenia over Garabagh. "Iran has forged warm relations with Armenia
and Upper Garabagh in particular. When I was in Garabagh, I saw a
great number of Iranian cars there. Obviously, this being the case,
Iran would not be able to provide any assistance to Azerbaijan,"
Shaffer said. As far as President Ilham Aliyev's upcoming visit to
the US is concerned, the researcher said it was a major success of the
Azerbaijani diplomacy. She said it showed the geo-strategic importance
Azerbaijan represents to the USA. "In the event of economic sanctions
against Iran, Azerbaijan's borders will represent special importance
to the West. Obviously the issue will be discussed by Presidents Ilham
Aliyev and George Bush. Under such circumstances, Aliyev may well say
to his US counterpart that while Azerbaijan is actively cooperating
with the West in such important issues, Baku was also in need of the
West's cooperation in resolving the Garabagh conflict. This meeting
could produce tangible results," Shaffer said.