Israel confirms $1.6 billion arms deal with Azerbaijan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Israeli officials confirmed a deal to sell defense equipment to Azerbaijan to the tune of $1.6 billion, The Jerusalem Post reported.

According to the officials, Israeli Aerospace Industries will supply Baku with unmanned aerial vehicles and missile defense systems.

Azerbaijan grew closer to Israel after the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Another contributing factor for the strengthening of ties is the deterioration of ties between Israel and Turkey. Both countries share borders with Iran.

Iran has in the past accused Azerbaijan of allowing Israeli spies it suspected of assassinating Iranian nuclear scientists to infiltrate from the Azeri border.

Last week, Azeri authorities announced the arrest of an Iranian terror cell that was planning, according to local reports, to attack the Israeli embassy in the country as well as a Jewish cultural center.

It is not clear whether the signing of the arms deal is related to these recent events.