Israel deployed commandos and intelligence units to Azerbaijan to facilitate operations against Iran during Operation Roaring Lion, CNN reported on Friday, citing four sources familiar with the matter.
The Israeli forces operated out of the south of the country, which borders the northwest of the Islamic Republic, CNN cited two of the sources as saying.
At their closest point, the soldiers were approximately 60km. from the Iranian city of Tabriz, which was struck by the Israel Air Force during the operation, CNN reported.
The forces included several dozen soldiers, including those from Israeli special forces, the "elite heliborne combat and rescue force" (likely referring to the Search and Rescue Unit 669), and Mossad agents and operatives, one of the sources said.
The units carried out intelligence-gathering and drone operations, the other two sources told the American outlet.
The forces were initially deployed as potential rescue teams in the event of an emergency within Iranian territory, but eventually expanded their scope to include military and intelligence-gathering roles, according to the report.
Iraq, UAE, Somaliland also suspected of hosting covert Israeli sites
Locations in Azerbaijan were among several covert military sites and bases in multiple countries, sources told CNN. Other sites included Iraq, the UAE, and Somaliland.
These three deployments placed Israeli forces along Iran's southern, western, and northern peripheries during the operation, and reportedly granted the IDF an extended military range by hundreds of miles.
This would more easily facilitate military operations deep within the country, which is the second-largest in land area within the Middle East after Saudi Arabia.
In response to the report, a spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Embassy in Washington "firmly rejecting [the] unfounded claims regarding the alleged use of Azerbaijan's territory for operations against third countries."
CNN also reached out to the Prime Minister's Office and the IDF for comment.
Mossad, Shin Bet, IDF announce joint bust of global Iranian terror network, including in Azerbaijan
During the height of the war on April 20, Mossad, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), and the IDF made an announcement exposing a worldwide Iranian terror network targeting Israeli officials and assets around the world, including in Azerbaijan.
According to the joint Israeli defense agencies’ statement, the Iranian plotters smuggled explosive drones into Azerbaijan and collected intelligence on potential targets.
Foreign media reports have indicated in the past that Israel and the Mossad have strong connections with Azerbaijan, which has a long porous border with Iran, and with specific allegations that the border is one of many places where agents can penetrate the country.
Arresting the local terror agents helped uncover the identities of the rest of the network, as well as of their handlers back in Iran.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.