Israel-Azerbaijan relations are based on strategic interests and are dynamically developing in several areas. In recent months, Tel Aviv and Baku have been increasingly strengthening their relations, which can have implications for both the South Caucasus and the Middle Eastern regions.
Israel-Azerbaijan: An Undeclared Alliance
Although Israel and Azerbaijan do not have formal declarations about establishing strategic relations, over the years they have managed to establish strategic cooperation in political, military, energy, cybersecurity, and intelligence sectors. Currently, both in Tel Aviv and Baku, the prospects of elevating strategic relations to a new level are being actively discussed, with potential energy sector cooperation serving as a catalyst.
This sector has a long history of Azerbaijani-Israeli cooperation. Thanks to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, since the late 2000s, Azerbaijan has become one of the main oil suppliers to Israel, providing approximately 40% of oil imported to the country[i]. Notably, during this period, Baku has formed the image of a quite reliable partner in Israel. Even during military operations in Gaza, when various countries began reconsidering economic relations with Israel, Azerbaijan not only refrained from such steps but continued to deepen cooperation.
In February 2025, the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) acquired 10% of shares in the Tamar gas field, located 90 km from Haifa, which is Israel’s second-largest natural gas field.
The details of the transaction are not disclosed, but it is known that SOCAR acquired the shares from Union Energy, which in 2022 purchased 11% of the field’s shares for approximately 520 million dollars[ii]. Notably, the American company Chevron also holds a 25% stake in the same field.[iii]
On March 17, the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) received a license to develop the northern economic zone of the Mediterranean Sea[iv]. The area of approximately 1,700 square kilometers has not yet been studied for natural resources. The project will be implemented by SOCAR together with British Petroleum and Israeli NewMed Energy. The provided license involves exploration work and preparation for extraction in case resources are discovered.
This is already SOCAR’s second such license. The first was received in 2023 for operating in the area adjacent to the Leviathan gas field.
Towards Strategic Partnership Renewal
These agreements in the energy sector are significant catalysts for the strategic partnership between Israel and Azerbaijan, opening new perspectives for their development. International developments contribute to this, such as the significant strengthening of US-Israel relations, the restoration of maximum pressure policy towards Iran under Trump, and others.
In the context of new realities, Israel could play a crucial role for Azerbaijan in building relations with the new US administration, and a noticeable activity is observed in this direction. On March 6, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office announced that Tel Aviv is conducting continuous discussions with the US to create solid foundations for a trilateral Israel-Azerbaijan-US cooperation[v].
On March 8, a session[vi] on “Strengthening the Strategic Alliance between Israel and Azerbaijan” was held in the Knesset, with an agenda focused on modernizing the Azerbaijan-Israel strategic partnership and the potential creation of a trilateral strategic alliance between Israel, the US, and Azerbaijan.
During those days, it also became known that several dozen authoritative rabbis with extensive diplomatic connections sent letters to US President Donald Trump requesting to include Azerbaijan in the Abraham Accords and to repeal sanctions against Azerbaijan (907th resolution).[vii] The group is led by Rabbi Marvin Hier, director of the Holocaust Research and Memory Center, and Rabbi Eli Abadi, the senior rabbi of the UAE and a friend of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and architect of the Abraham Accords.
Against the backdrop of these developments, it was noteworthy that US President’s Special Envoy Steven Witcoff, after negotiations in Moscow, made a stopover in Baku. Neither the American nor the Azerbaijani side released any official statement about this stopover and potential interactions. However, the Israeli press presented Witcoff’s visit in the context of creating a trilateral Israel-US-Azerbaijan cooperation format[viii].
The prospect of Azerbaijan joining the Abraham Accords is in an active discussion phase. These were initiated during Trump’s first presidential term and aimed to promote relations between Israel and Muslim-majority countries. To date, the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco have joined the Abraham Accords[ix]. After re-election, Trump announced his intention to continue expanding these agreements.
For Azerbaijan, involvement in this initiative is interesting not only in terms of raising relations with Israel to a qualitatively new level but also in developing relations with the new US administration and forming a trilateral Israel-US-Azerbaijan format, which would strengthen Azerbaijan’s position in the region. For Israel, Azerbaijan’s involvement is important in the context of increasing pressure on Iran, taking into account the tough stance of the Trump administration.
The deepening of Israel-Azerbaijan relations and the prospect of a possible trilateral alliance with US involvement create certain challenges for both Armenia and the region. These can strengthen Azerbaijan’s regional position, contributing to the continuation of Baku’s aggressive policy. At the same time, the region could become more actively involved in the new US administration’s “maximum pressure” policy towards Iran, which would lead to destabilization of the situation.
Narek Minasyan
[i] https://www.thedailyscrumnews.com/the-btc-pipeline-turkiyes-strategic-dilemma-in-supporting-israels-energy-needs/
[ii] https://israeldesks.com/aaron-frenkel-buys-11-of-the-tamar-gas-reservoir-for-usd-520-million/
[iii] https://www.offshore-energy.biz/socar-coming-aboard-chevrons-gas-field-offshore-israel/
[iv] https://x.com/elicoh1/status/1901654698022535266?ref=oc-media.org
[v] https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-845076
[vi] https://caucasuswatch.de/en/news/knesset-members-advocate-for-strengthening-trilateral-cooperation-between-israel-the-us-and-azerbaijan-including-bakus-inclusion-in-the-abraham-accords.html
[vii] https://forbes.co.il/e/prominent-rabbis-appeal-to-trump-include-azerbaijan-in-abraham-accords/
[viii] https://www.jpost.com/international/article-846086
[ix] https://www.state.gov/the-abraham-accords
