IRAN HURTS HER “NOT SO” CORDIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH ITS NEIGHBOR AZERBAIJAN

Iran has temporary recalled its Ambassador to Azerbaijan as a protest to the visit of Israeli president Mr. Shimon Perez to the Azerbaijan territory. The Iran officials have based its reason for the withdrawal on an inflammatory statement made by the Israeli president towards Iran.

Prior to Perez visit to the Azerbaijan territories, the Iranian chief of staff was in Azerbaijan to persuade the Azerbaijan government on a need to block the visitation the Israeli officials. No concrete reason was provided by the Iranian chief of staff other than Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president wants the meeting to be called off. It is also on record that Mr. Ahmadinejad had once called for the arrest of his opposition in the last contested election simple because Mr. Hossein Mousavi had question his judgment over Israel. The reason given then was nobody has the permission to insult a president.

The Israeli president was in Azerbaijan on his tour to some selected nation around Asia and Eastern Europe. Since Mr. Ahmadinejad became the president of Iran, the relationship between both nations Iseal/Iran has become so tensed that Mr. Ahmadinejad has in so many occasion voiced outright hatred towards Israel.

Azerbaijanis in Iran is estimated at about 60% of the total Iranian population. The Iranian government has never strongly supported Azerbaijan with its conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. A vast number of the Azerbaijani population living in Azerbaijan views this as Iranian support towards the Armenians.