Meeting of Azerbaijan and Iran Diplomats

by Larry Johnson [7-17-2025 published] Larry C. Johnson(bio).

I just received the following from Press TV in Iran, and it refutes Donald Trump’s claim that Iran is eager to negotiate:

A senior Iranian political figure has told Iranian Press TV that Iran is rethinking its approach to nuclear negotiations and will not enter new talks using the same framework or agenda.

Referring to the U-S request to resume negotiations, the source emphasized that any talks must align with the real security dynamics of the region. He expressed skepticism about the US intentions for peace, stating that the goal of Washington is to disarm Iran to compensate for Israel’s weakness in the next potential war. The political figure added any new negotiations must include serious and practical guarantees including scrutiny of Israel’s nuclear and WMD programs, credible punishment of the regime (i.e., Israel) and compensation to Iran. He stressed in the absence of these conditions, negotiations will merely serve as a prelude to war. He added Tehran is willing to “offer another opportunity” but requires evidence that U.S. negotiator Witkoff is pursuing peace rather than escalation.

There you have it. Iran is willing to talk but only if the conditions outlined above are met by Washington. This means there will be no further negotiations and that Iran will busy itself preparing for the next US/Israeli attack. Iran’s requirement that Israel be subjected to the same type of scrutiny of its nuclear program as Iran is a new, but not surprising, demand. While Iran’s demands are reasonable, I cannot imagine any scenario where Trump would agree.

I just learned that Trump’s Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, did some work for Bibi Netanyahu at Trump’s direction. In 2020, she briefly worked for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign, underscoring a professional relationship within Israeli politics. She is a critical voice in any decision that Trump makes regarding Israel… especially when it comes to negotiating with Iran.

Staying in the region, but shifting to a neighboring country, I have received a terrific email from a reader who provides excellent insights into the the dynamics at play among Azerbaijan, Iran, Ukraine and Russia. Both Western media and social media outlets have reported in the aftermath of the 12 Day War (we got to call it something pithy) that Israel used Azerbaijan as a launching pad for some of its attacks on Iran. I think my new friend provides a credible explanation for why that it not true:

How do I know this? Firstly, on the 27th of June, 2025 – only days after the 12 day war between Israel and Iran was halted – Iran’s new Ambassador to Azerbaijan was officially received by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and warmly greeted. (Go to azertag.az/en – the Azerbaijan State News Agency in English, click on Official News, and move to the fourth page of listed news items. Here you will find photos documenting this important event.)

On the 4th of July, 2025, the President of Iran – Pezeshkian – at the head of a large Iranian governmental delegation traveled to Khankendi in the newly incorporated Azeri territory in Nagorno Karabakh for a state meeting with the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and many Azeri Ministers. For photos you can go to azertag.az/en and click on Official News and move to the 2nd page.

So, as a former analyst, what do you think the chances are that Iran would send a new Ambassador, and the President of Iran would travel to a country that only days earlier had allowed its territory to be used by Israel to launch deadly surprise attacks on Tehran. Less than zero?

FYI relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Iran are cordial, business relations are developing, and the north south rail corridor project between Russia and Iran through Azerbaijan is proceeding apace.

With this in mind, where is this easily debunk-able narrative about the Republic of Azerbaijan allowing Israel to use its territory for sneak attacks on Iran coming from? To explain I need to take you on a short history lesson. In 2020 I was present in Azerbaijan during the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The hysterical narratives coming out of Armenia at that time would have made Bagdad Bob blush. When Armenia disastrously lost this war, and the Armenian President Pashinian acknowledged in writing that he recognized the Nagorno Karabakh territories as Azeri, Western pundits siding with Armenia had a lot of egg on their faces.

Since the Iraq war in 2003, the ethnic Kurds have carved out a semi-autonomous state in the north of Iraq and parts of north east Syria. These Kurdish enclaves directly border the West and East Azerbaijan Provinces of Iran, (located in north west Iran, just south of the Republic of Azerbaijan – check a provincial map of Iran for details). The Israelis have established deep ties in these Kurdish enclaves, and it is entirely conceivable that their sneak attacks on northern Iran were launched from precisely these Kurdish held enclaves THROUGH the territories of West and East Azerbaijan provinces, further through Ardabil province to the Caspian Sea, over the Caspian Sea for a 100 kilometers or so, and directly south onto Tehran and other nearby targets. This is why some disposable extra fuel tanks for drones were discovered off the northern coast of Iran.

Armenian narrators, ever looking for a chance to increase tension between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, have apparently launched a carefully crafted deception, confusing the two Azerbaijan provinces of Iran with the actual Republic of Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, many otherwise reliable bloggers have jumped on the band wagon without doing their due diligence. I would recommend to you that you never take any possible anti-Azeri narrative at face value without double checking.

As concerns Russian – Azeri tensions, here we have to go back to the Second World War. After the war, large regions of today’s Ukraine were essentially depopulated. Thousands of ethnic Azeris, who had fought the Wehrmacht in Ukraine and in Berlin, married ethnic Ukrainian ladies and settled in the country. During my 25 years in and around the Republic of Azerbaijan, I was almost astonished at how many familial ties there actually were between ethic Ukrainians and Azeris. Azeris are also excellent business people and established solid investments in the oil and gas industries in Ukraine, the oil refinery in Kremenchug that Russia destroyed recently was owned by Azeri interests linked to President Aliyev.

Apparently there had been some sort of “understanding” that Russia would not seriously disable this refinery during the special military operation. In exchange, the Russians may have negotiated the right to use existing Soviet era pipelines to pipe their oil and gas south to the Republic of Azerbaijan, re-flag it as Azeri, and then pump it through the newly constructed BTC and other existing pipelines from Azerbaijan to Turkey, and onward to western markets. No need for “ghost oil tankers” on the high seas, which may simply be a diversion. It looks as though the Spider’s Web operation tarnished these “understandings”. Ukrainian intelligence may have engaged certain ethnic Azeri criminal networks operating in Russia to assist with this operation. This operation, however, was not officially approved in any manner by the actual government of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Russian response was not long in waiting and, as usual, heavy-handed, as it probably should be.

This Russian response and subsequent clamp down on ethnic Azeri “businessmen” has opened old wounds between the Russian government and ethnic Azeris living in Russia and Azerbaijan, with predictable results. However, don’t expect any major fireworks, or attacks on Azeri oilfields, although our friends in MI6 may stage a false flag or two to heat matters up. We should never forget the prominent position that BP Azerbaijan holds within the Republic of Azerbaijan – although it operates VERY carefully.

Finally, the Zangezur corridor in southern Armenia located between the two Azeri territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan proper and Nakhichevan. At the end of the 2020 war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, there were discussions about opening this corridor, and this initiative has continued to this day. Now it looks as if the US State Department has proposed leasing this Armenian territory to a US entity for 100 years to supervise the orderly transit of goods and services between Turkey – through Nakhichevan – to the Republic of Azerbaijan. A modern road, railroad, oil and gas pipelines and a fiber optic magistral are proposed. The Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan have just recently met in the UAE and may have come to an understanding on this matter, (again, go to azertag.az/en for confirmation and photos). Iran and Russia may not actually halt this initiative if they are guaranteed open access to this corridor and it may serve their economic interests as well. It looks as if the US State Department has finally come up with a good idea that may come to fruition, although the actual operator of the Zangezur corridor may not eventually be a direct US interest.

The recent visit of the current President of Syria to the Republic of Azerbaijan may be directly connected to the Zangezur corridor developments. The President of Turkmenistan has also just recently visited the Republic of Azerbaijan, possibly discussing a trans-Caspian gas pipeline to hookup to the planned pipeline links to Turkey that are to be built in the Zangezur corridor. In short, there is a LOT of activity behind the scenes.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Garland Nixon and Rasheed Muhammad about current events, especially Trump’s self-inflicted Epstein Infrerno:

LARRY C JOHNSON - UKRAINE DEBACLE LOOMS - WESTERN MEDIA FACILITATES GENOCIDE