MOSCOW

No one can speak to Baku "in a menacing tone," said the Azerbaijani defense minister on Saturday, criticizing Iran for its statement about Baku's cooperation with Israel.

Speaking at a meeting with military chiefs via video conference, Zakir Hasanov blasted as "nonsense" remarks by "some countries supporting terrorism and occupation policy."

Iran on Friday condemned Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen's recent remarks about "forming a united front" with Azerbaijan against Tehran, saying it will "not remain indifferent" to the "conspiracy."

The minister analyzed the current situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian "conditional" state border and in the Karabakh region, and gave instructions "to suppress possible provocations."

Hasanov stressed that "all the illegal activities of the opposing side, and the illegal Armenian armed detachments must be kept under constant control from now on, and such steps must not be allowed to be taken in the territory of Azerbaijan in the future."

The official emphasized the importance of increasing the intensity of exercises and training held in conditions close to real combat, as well as improving the methods of effective application of modern weapons and military equipment.​​​​​​​

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

A truce has been in force between the neighbors since a 2020 war that forced Armenia to cede territories it had occupied for decades.