Iran’s Fars News Agency, which is closely affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), launched an attack this week on Azerbaijan and Israel, using the Eurovision song contest to fuel anti-Zionist rhetoric.
In a report published this week, the agency condemned what it called “disgraceful and secretive ties” between Azerbaijan and the “Zionist regime,” pointing to the two countries’ participation in the competition as proof of growing cooperation.
The trigger for Tehran’s ire: Azerbaijan was represented by a Jewish singer, while Israel’s contestant was of Azerbaijani heritage — a symbolic crossover that Fars labeled a betrayal of Islamic unity. “The bitter truth is out,” the agency wrote. “Not one nation in two countries, but two nations in one state — a state that divides the Islamic world.”
This rhetoric reflects Iran’s longstanding hostility toward its northern Shi’ite-majority neighbor, which it increasingly views as a strategic outpost for Israeli influence in the Caucasus. The two countries have developed close cooperation across defense, trade, and diplomatic channels.
In Azerbaijan, Jewish holidays are openly observed, Israeli flags are displayed in public celebrations, and rabbis are welcomed in official ceremonies — in stark contrast to Iran, where expressions of Jewish identity are often met with suspicion or risk.
The Eurovision vote highlighted the alliance: Azerbaijan awarded Israel the maximum 12 points — both from the public and the jury. The gesture was welcomed in Jerusalem but denounced in Tehran.
Israel Katz thanked Azerbaijan for its support after Oct 7
Earlier this week, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz met with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Gen. Zakir Hasanov, in Tel Aviv to reinforce strategic cooperation. During the meeting, Katz thanked Azerbaijan for its support following the October 7 Hamas attack, its role in mediating between Israel and Turkey, and the symbolic gesture of awarding Israel the maximum 12 points in the Eurovision Song Contest — a move he described as a true sign of friendship between the two nations.
Iran’s response has gone beyond words. In recent years, Tehran has promoted antisemitic propaganda, including a caricature of President Aliyev with exaggerated Jewish features, labeled “Rabbi Ilham Aleph.” The cartoon circulated widely on Iranian platforms and was also shared in Armenia, a regional rival of Azerbaijan and close ally of Iran.
Tensions have also played out along the border, where Iran continues to conduct military exercises with threats in Azerbaijani. Videos declare that “the road to Jerusalem passes through Baku,” reinforcing veiled threats toward Israel and its allies.
When even a song contest becomes a theater for geopolitical hostility, it’s a reminder that cultural diplomacy is not immune to the region’s deepening rivalries.
