Israeli analyst: Israel–Azerbaijan relationship is “not symbolic” and “not fragile”

Published: 2026-02-19 10:02

"Last October, Armenia unveiled the Dragonfly 3, a loitering munition developed by the local firm Davaro. For anyone familiar with Israel Aerospace Industries’ Harop, the resemblance was difficult to ignore. Within days, reports began suggesting that the technical know-how had reached Yerevan via India, which operates the Harop under Make in India arrangements. Headlines quickly escalated the story into something larger: a supposed rift between Jerusalem and Baku," wrote Michael Borodkin, an Israeli analyst and expert on Iran and the Middle East, in an article published by The Times of Israel.

"The Israel-Azerbaijan relationship is not symbolic and it is not fragile. It is anchored in energy cooperation, defense coordination, and a shared strategic interest in containing Iran... More importantly, those who closely follow the relationship are not seeing any credible signs of rupture... For analysts who track this relationship consistently, the absence of reaction itself is meaningful. Strategic partnerships tend to signal stress quickly. That has not happened here," the author added.

"Iran would have an interest in amplifying any storyline that suggests distance between Israel and Azerbaijan... Strategic relationships are tested by sustained policy shifts, not by headlines... Sometimes the more revealing development is not the weapon system, but the speed with which a baseless storyline attempts to redefine a partnership," the expert noted.

By Azerbaijani-Israeli Alliance Global News