Azerbaijan and UK Hold Talks on Escalating Israel-Iran Tensions

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov held a phone conversation on Wednesday with his UK counterpart David Lammy to discuss the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran.

The parties expressed serious concern about the security situation in the region that arose from missile exchanges between the heavily armed Middle Eastern rivals, The Caspian Post reports, citing Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry.

The ministers emphasised the importance of maintaining diplomatic contacts and negotiations to prevent further escalation.

For the record, on June 13, Israel launched a major military operation dubbed "Operation Rising Lion." This involved airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, military bases, and key leadership figures. Israel framed these strikes as a preemptive necessity to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear-armed state.

Iran responded with a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones aimed at Israeli military and civilian targets. Unlike previous conflicts where Iran relied heavily on proxies, this direct attack from Iranian soil marked a significant escalation, intensifying the confrontation.

As of June 18, the tensions between the Middle Eastern states have continued with periodic missile strikes, resulting in civilian casualties and heavy damage to buildings and infrastructure both in Tehran and Tel Aviv.