Azerbaijan may become a crucial player in Israeli-American vision for Middle East

The Atlantic Council, a prominent U.S. think tank, stated that the U.S. should follow Israel’s lead in fostering ties with Azerbaijan.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Following a meeting this week between Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, and Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, officials described the “game-changing” partnership between the Muslim nation, Israel, and the United States.

“Mr. Hajiyev conveyed the greetings of President Ilham Aliyev to Prime Minister Netanyahu,” the Azerbaijani Embassy in Israel stated.

Hajiyev and Netanyahu discussed expanding bilateral cooperation, and diplomatic sources raised the possibility of including Azerbaijan in the Abraham Accords framework, alongside Israel and the U.S.

The meeting between Netanyahu and Hajiyev took place just 48 hours after the Israeli Prime Minister met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The Atlantic Council, a prominent U.S. think tank, stated that the U.S. should follow Israel’s lead in fostering ties with Azerbaijan.

The Atlantic Council said, “Washington should learn from Israel’s diplomatic and security collaboration with Azerbaijan to bolster its own ties with Baku. Besides being a bulwark against Iran, close relations with Azerbaijan could help the United States gain a stronger foothold among Central Asian countries, with whom Azerbaijan has been developing stronger relations.”

It continued, “This would be especially important for the United States, as Central Asia is rich in minerals and energy and is home to the Middle Corridor, a trade route from Asia to Europe that bypasses both Russia and Iran.”

In addition, the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies published a special Prospective Paper titled “How to Effectively Engage Azerbaijan in Trump’s Regional Plans and in Israel’s Interests: Practical Recommendations.”

The paper emphasized that the U.S. should aim for the inclusion of Azerbaijan in American-Israeli projects, including investment and technological development.

Israelis are currently developing a partnership with Morocco as part of its projects with America and seeks to apply this model to other Sunni Gulf monarchies.

These partnerships span defense, AI, and cybersecurity, aligning with the Trump Administration’s vision of expanding multilateral alliances in the Middle East.