TEHRAN – Ali Akbar Velayati, senior adviser on international affairs to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has condemned the reported hosting of a Zionist rabbis’ summit in the Republic of Azerbaijan, describing it as a shocking and anti-Islamic step that undermines the dignity of Shiism worldwide.

In a social media post, Velayati said the move was “astonishing and regrettable,” adding that he hoped the news would prove untrue. “This is the first time that such a transgression has been carried out by the government of Azerbaijan, and it is an anti-Islamic measure and an affront to the global standing of Shia Muslims,” he declared.

He reminded that the people of Azerbaijan have been Muslim for nearly 1,200 years, stressing that they will not approve of actions that run against their faith and traditions. Velayati suggested the summit may be linked to attempts at expanding the so-called Abraham Accords and drawing Azerbaijan into them. He warned that cooperation with Israel, a regime hostile to many regional states, would eventually harm Azerbaijan itself.

Azerbaijan and Israel have forged close ties over the past three decades, largely built on energy and defense cooperation. Baku is Israel’s largest oil supplier, covering around 65% of its crude imports through the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline. In return, Israel has become one of Azerbaijan’s top arms providers, supplying drones, missile systems, and intelligence technologies.

President Ilham Aliyev himself once compared the relationship to an iceberg — with most of it hidden beneath the surface. By 2023, Azerbaijan’s oil exports to Israel reached $1.4 billion annually, while Israeli arms accounted for nearly 70% of Azerbaijan’s military imports between 2016 and 2020.

Velayati’s warning comes at a time when Israel is facing unprecedented isolation following its airstrike on Doha on September 9. The attack targeted a Hamas delegation during U.S.-proposed ceasefire talks, killing several members as well as a Qatari security officer. Beyond the casualties, the strike was viewed as a violation of Qatari sovereignty and an affront to the wider Arab-Islamic world.

The United Nations Security Council issued a rare unanimous condemnation of the attack, with even the United States backing the resolution for de-escalation. Analysts say the move has exposed the limits of normalization under the Abraham Accords, proving that engagement has not moderated Israel’s behavior but instead emboldened it.

Qatar, which has long resisted pressure to normalize with Tel Aviv, is now preparing to host an emergency Arab-Islamic summit to discuss joint measures. 

Against this backdrop, Velayati cautioned that Azerbaijan’s alignment with Israel could leave it isolated among Muslim nations. “The proud people of Azerbaijan and the Caucasus will be dissatisfied with this anti-Islamic and anti-religious move, and this irrational action will ultimately harm Azerbaijan itself,” he said.