Hostile forces are attempting to discredit Azerbaijan and destabilize the country’s internal situation by exploiting the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. Social media has become the main instrument in this covert information campaign. In particular, malicious actors are actively using the publicly accessible platform TikTok to spread fabricated materials that do not correspond to reality.
Following the escalation in the Middle East, a post appeared on social media claiming that a foreign military base had been deployed in Azerbaijan. Fake footage was circulated allegedly showing an Israeli air defense system near a coastal resort in Baku. Naturally, no evidence was provided — for the simple reason that no foreign military base exists on Azerbaijan’s territory. Azerbaijan’s policy has always been based on the principles of neutrality and respect for the territorial integrity of states.
Apparently, however, some forces are troubled by the fact that Azerbaijan, despite numerous challenges, has managed to build a balanced foreign policy aimed at ensuring stability and peace in the region. These actors believe that crude disinformation can damage Azerbaijan’s reputation and either drag the country into conflict or undermine its statehood.
Another video circulating on social media allegedly shows missiles being launched by Azerbaijan. However, many users who commented on the post quickly recognized it as fake and stated that a dishonest campaign was being carried out against the country.
In general, the spreaders of disinformation are not selective in their methods. Old footage of military equipment movements near the border is being presented as current, with calls urging the public to prepare for a war with Armenia — despite the fact that the conflict has long ended and Azerbaijan and Armenia have already moved to the stage of practical decisions within the peace process. Against this background, the primitive attempts of anonymous provocateurs hiding behind fake accounts appear rather absurd.
Commenting on these publications for Minval Politika, Member of Parliament and political analyst Rasim Musabayov said that certain forces are trying to push Iran toward confrontation with Azerbaijan and, in other words, turn Tehran against Baku.
According to him, such provocations could even be initiated by Iran’s enemies. Their goal would be to provoke Iran into taking steps against Azerbaijan so that Baku would ultimately be drawn into the camp of Tehran’s opponents.
“At the same time, I do not rule out that certain Armenian forces may be behind this. They would very much like to see Azerbaijan clash with Iran. It could also be certain structures in Russia, for whom tensions between Azerbaijan and Iran would create opportunities to advance their own interests,” the political analyst said.
Musabayov added that someone is deliberately shaping an information background for possible actions. Such publications must be closely monitored, and this is exactly what the relevant state institutions are doing.
