Representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader renews criticism of Azerbaijani president

Published: 2025-05-10 13:14

Hassan Ameli, the representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in Ardabil Province, stated that a 14-year-old girl from Gaza had addressed the leaders of Islamic countries who host Israeli officials, saying, “Never look into the mirror, because if you do, you will see the blood of our children on your faces and the limbs of our oppressed people in your hands” (Iranian state news agency IRNA).

Ameli—known for his anti-Azerbaijani rhetoric—made the statement amid plans for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to visit Baku at the invitation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The visit was originally scheduled for May 7 but was postponed due to Netanyahu’s “tight schedule in light of events in Gaza and Syria.”

On November 18, 2024, Ameli praised the Iranian president for not participating in COP29 held in Baku. Later, on December 29, 2024, during a ceremony in Ardabil led by Ameli, offensive remarks were made against Aliyev and Erdoğan.

Commenting on the matter in an interview with local television, President Aliyev stated: “As for the provincial mullah's hateful attitude towards us, this is not the first time. That mullah from the city of Ardabil has repeatedly used insulting language against Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani people, including me. The real question is about the attitude of the person who appointed him to that position. After all, he didn’t just arrive and sit there on his own. We know exactly who appointed him.”

By Azerbaijani-Israeli Alliance Global News