Iran says Israeli-Azeri drones 'spotted' near border

Azerbaijani drones, constructed with the aid of Israel, are being used to conduct spy missions along the Azeri-Iranian border, Iran claimed.

According to a Saturday article in Iran’s state-sponsored Press TV, Azerbaijan has acquired a fleet of Orbiter ultra-light drones and Hermes-450 drones, the latter of which can be outfitted with missiles and electronic warfare capability, and are using them to monitor Iran’s northern regions.

Israel and Azerbaijan signed a $1.4 billion defense deal in February, which focused on drones and missile defense systems. Press-TV reported that Israeli satellites were being used in conjunction with the drones to run surveillance along the Iranian border.

Azerbaijan in October denied reports that it had agreed to allow Israel to use its territory as a staging ground for a possible attack on Iran. Also in October, 22 people were sentenced behind closed doors to lengthy jail-terms in Baku for assisting Iranian agents in plotting terror attacks against US and Israeli targets in Azerbaijan.