Category: Azer News

The next winners have been determined at the 2026 European Ski Mountaineering Championships and ISMF Shahdag World Cup, AzerNEWS reports.

A mixed relay race took place on the second day. Among junior boys and girls, Germany finished in 1st place, Spain ranked 2nd, and representatives of Russia took 3rd place.

In the adults’ competition, Swiss athletes became the European champions, while Italy finished 2nd and Germany took 3rd place.

On March 6, athletes will compete in the individual and vertical events.

Azerbaijan is represented at the competition by five members of the national team, including Nazrin Garibova, Nabiyulla Galabayev, Anid Sultanov, Abel Ismikhanov, and Nurid Shakaraliyev.

The competitions, which will continue until March 8, sees women and men from the U-18 and U-20 categories, as well as senior athletes, compete in sprint, mixed relay, individual, and vertical events.

Azerbaijan and the European Union have held discussions on strengthening economic cooperation and expanding joint initiatives across several key sectors, AzerNEWS repots.

According to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Economy, the talks took place during a meeting between Deputy Economy Minister Samad Bashirli and Adrien Kiraly, Director for the Eastern Neighbourhood and Trkiye at the Directorate-General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood of the European Commission.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the priority areas of partnership between Azerbaijan and the European Union.

Officials highlighted that the EU remains one of Azerbaijan’s key foreign trade partners, emphasizing that cooperation in areas such as energy, investment, and other sectors contributes to regional development.

The participants also noted that there is significant potential to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.

In addition, the parties discussed the EU-Azerbaijan Financing Agreement for 2024, the implementation of joint projects, and other issues related to economic collaboration.

Leyla Aliyeva has visited the Baku International Multiculturalism Center (BIMC), AzerNEWS reports.

Ravan Hasanov, BIMC Executive Director, provided Leyla Aliyeva with information about the Center. He noted that established in 2014 by the decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, the Center implements significant projects aimed at studying, preserving, and promoting Azerbaijan’s multiculturalism model internationally, and cooperates with international organizations. Every year, the Center organizes international conferences, scientific seminars, roundtables, and forums, which bring together scholars, researchers, experts, and public figures from various countries to discuss multiculturalism, interfaith dialogue, and intercultural cooperation.

Based on President Ilham Aliyev’s initiative to “promote Azerbaijan as a center of multiculturalism in the world,” the Center implements a project to teach the course “Azerbaijani Multiculturalism” at local and foreign universities. Within this project, the course has been taught at 27 leading universities worldwide. Moreover, around 40 universities in Azerbaijan offer this course at the master’s level, and at the undergraduate level, ‘Introduction to Multiculturalism’ is taught as a core subject in higher education institutions.

It was noted that the Center pays special attention to publishing books, monographs, scientific articles, methodological materials, and historical maps on Azerbaijan’s history and culture; to publishing materials from local and international conferences organized by BIMC; and to producing books in the languages of ethnic minorities living in Azerbaijan. These publications are presented both domestically and in the international academic community.

A film about the Center’s activities was then screened. Leyla Aliyeva familiarized herself with the Center’s publications.

Leyla Aliyeva emphasized the importance of projects aimed at preserving and promoting Azerbaijan’s multicultural values worldwide. She particularly praised the organization of conferences addressing Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and xenophobia, as well as efforts to promote Azerbaijan’s Christian heritage internationally. She highlighted the key role of youth engagement in BIMC’s activities in promoting Azerbaijani multiculturalism and noted the Center’s significant contribution to fostering understanding and intercultural dialogue among different nations.

Leyla Aliyeva met with the Center’s staff and took photographs with them.

It should be noted that Leyla Aliyeva is a member of the Supervisory Board of the Baku International Multiculturalism Center.

After joint US-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader and senior officials, Tehran responded within hours. Missiles and drones were launched towards Israel and US-linked sites across the Gulf, signalling that this would not be a symbolic exchange, but the opening phase of something potentially longer.

First and foremost, the issue must be approached from the perspective of military capability. Take Iran as an example: the situation there remains somewhat opaque, largely because no fully reliable or transparent official accounting of Tehran’s military arsenal exists. This lack of clarity inevitably gives rise to a number of uncertainties.

Even at the height of the conflict, the United States, lacking complete and verified intelligence, began to exercise a degree of caution regarding large-scale military action against Iran, weighing the potential risks and unknown variables.

However, in order not to stray from the core of the discussion, let us return to the central question – the key questions now are the capabilities of both sides:

How much firepower does Iran actually have at its disposal?

How long can Israel sustain interception, mobilisation and war spending at current levels?

Which side faces exhaustion first, militarily or economically?

Let’s break it down by capability, range and endurance.

Iran’s military doctrine does not rely on air superiority. Instead, it is built around missiles, drones, survivable launch platforms, and strategic geography. Iran fields the largest and most diverse missile arsenal in the Middle East, spanning short-, medium- and longer-range systems.

Short-range ballistic missiles (150-800km)

These are Iran’s ‘first punch’ systems, built for rapid, high-volume regional strikes.

Key systems include:

Fateh variants

Zolfaghar

Qiam-1

Shahab-1/2

Why they matter statistically:

The range covers Israel and US bases in Iraq and the Gulf. Can be launched in salvos. Shorter flight times reduce interception windows. Designed to overwhelm air defences through volume.

In the first three days of the current confrontation, Iran launched over 200 ballistic missiles toward Israel, nearly half the volume used in the 12-day war in June 2025. If sustained at similar rates, the conflict quickly becomes a numbers contest: Missiles fired vs interceptors available.

Medium-range ballistic missiles (1,500-2,000km)

Systems such as:

Shahab-3

Emad

Ghadr-1

Khorramshahr

Sejjil

Kheibar Shekan

These expand the battlefield dramatically.

Statistical implications:

Entire Israeli territory is within range.

US-linked bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE fall inside the strike envelope.

Solid-fuel systems like Sejjil reduce launch preparation time.

The longest-range Iranian missiles reach 2,000-2,500km, but cannot reach the United States itself, despite political rhetoric suggesting otherwise.

Cruise missiles and drones

Cruise missiles such as:

Soumar (2,500km range)

Ya-Ali

Quds variants

Ra’ad

Unlike ballistic missiles, cruise missiles fly low and hug terrain, making them harder to detect.

Drones introduce a different statistical pressure:

Slower, but cheaper.

Launched in waves.

Designed to exhaust air defences over hours rather than minutes.

If ballistic missiles are the shock factor, drones are the attrition factor. And perhaps those are the scariest capability of Iran. Production cost is minor in comparison to the cost for its destruction. For example: Shahed-136 drone: $20,000 – $50,000; More sophisticated attack drones: $50,000 – $200,000.

A single wave of 100 drones might cost an attacker around, $2-5 million. But if defenders intercept those drones using Patriot missiles, the defensive bill could reach $300-400 million. Even cheaper systems like Iron Dome still create a financial imbalance if large numbers of drones are launched simultaneously.

Underground ‘missile cities’

Iran’s survivability matters as much as its inventory.

Its missile infrastructure includes:

Hardened underground tunnels

Concealed storage depots

Protected launch sites

The statistical question here is not how many missiles Iran has, but how many survive first-wave strikes. If survivability is high, the conflict shifts from a short exchange to prolonged attrition. Iran does not need to formally blockade the Strait of Hormuz to make an impact.

Through:

Anti-ship missiles

Naval mines

Fast attack craft

Drone harassment

It can disrupt shipping enough to:

Raise insurance costs

Divert vessels

Spike energy prices

Already, tanker traffic hesitations and suspended crossings show that economic pressure can escalate faster than battlefield outcomes. In war calculus, this is force multiplication without direct engagement.

Now next question is how long can Israel sustain this war?

If Iran’s strategy is based on volume and survivability, Israel’s rests on interception and technological superiority.

Israel operates three main air defence systems:

Iron Dome

David’s Sling

Arrow 2 and Arrow 3

Each incoming ballistic missile typically requires at least one interceptor.

Now consider the numbers:

Over 200 Iranian ballistic missiles were launched in the first three days.

Around 500 were launched during the 12-day war in June 2025.

Interceptor stocks are undisclosed.

During the previous conflict, Israel reportedly began running low.

If missile launches continue at high frequency, Israel faces a mathematical problem:

Interceptor stockpile vs sustained Iranian volume. Without US resupply, airspace control could become significantly harder to maintain.

But how about the US firepower?

Another variable shaping the war is the role of the United States. Washington has repeatedly suggested that it can sustain a prolonged conflict, with officials emphasizing that American forces have the logistical depth and industrial capacity to continue supplying weapons and ammunition for as long as necessary. How true is the thesis, ‘unlimited munitions’?

The United States maintains the most extensive military presence in the Middle East. Perhaps, given the fact that the US has been highly active over the years, it is much easier to get the details more comprehensively.

Around 40,000-50,000 US troops are stationed across the region.

These forces operate from at least 19 military sites, including several permanent bases.

Key hubs include:

Al Udeid Air Base (Qatar) – the forward headquarters of US Central Command.

Naval Support Activity Bahrain – headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

Prince Sultan Air Base (Saudi Arabia) – a major air defence and command centre.

Al Dhafra Air Base (UAE) – a key base for US fighter and surveillance aircraft.

Camp Arifjan and Ali Al Salem Air Base (Kuwait) – major logistics and air hubs.

This network allows the United States to launch air operations, move reinforcements, and supply allied forces across the entire Gulf and eastern Mediterranean.

During the first phase of the current conflict, American forces reportedly operated with:

over 50,000 personnel

around 200 fighter jets

multiple long-range bombers including B-2, B-1 and B-52 aircraft

two aircraft carrier strike groups operating in surrounding waters.

In the first 100 hours of the campaign, US forces struck nearly 2,000 Iranian targets, ranging from missile launch sites and air defence systems to naval infrastructure.

US forces in the region rely heavily on layered missile defence systems to counter Iranian missiles and drones.

The main systems include:

THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense)

Designed to intercept ballistic missiles at high altitude during the final phase of flight.

Patriot missile systems

Used to defend against shorter-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and aircraft.

These systems have been deployed across several bases in the region in anticipation of Iranian retaliation.

If the conflict evolves into a sustained campaign, the US role may ultimately determine the balance of endurance.

Iran’s strategy relies on:

missile volume

drones and saturation attacks

survivable underground launch infrastructure

The United States counters with:

air dominance

advanced missile defence systems

global logistics and production capacity

The strategic question therefore becomes less about who can strike harder in the opening phase, and more about which side can sustain the pace of operations over weeks or months.

And despite the rhetoric about ‘unlimited munitions,’ even the world’s largest military must still manage the arithmetic of war: stockpiles, production rates and supply chains.

Economic strain

Military endurance is also about budget. The United States of America is the biggest economy in the world, so its endurance is much higher than the other fighting sides. Even with the inclusion and the possibility of “war without strategy”, it has more space of flexibility.

Israel’s war expenditures:

$31bn in 2024 (Gaza and Lebanon conflicts)

$55bn in 2025 (preliminary figures)

Public morale remains high for now, but sustained missile alerts, shelter rotations and economic pressure test endurance over time.

Iran’s physical expenditures, estimated and reportedly (Source: White House media accounts)

Over 20 Iranian warships have been destroyed in air, land, and sea operations. There has been a 73% decrease in Iranian drone launches and an 86% decrease in Iranian ballistic missile launches.

According to unverified numbers, Iran’s decreasing missiles and drones over the 5-day period, World Insights On X:

Ballistic Missiles:

– Day 1: 350

– Day 2: 175

– Day 3: 120

– Day 4: 50

– Day 5: 40

Drone Swarms:

– Day 1: 294

– Day 2: 541

– Day 3: 200

– Day 4: 85

– Day 5: 45

Total estimated war spending after six days:

United States $5B – $5.5B

Israel $1.2B – $2B

Iran $500M – $900M

Over time, this dynamic transforms war into not only a military confrontation but also an economic contest of endurance. But let us monitor which side will give up first.

On the morning of March 5, the people of Azerbaijan witnessed an attack by unmanned aerial vehicles from the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. According to reports, one of the drones fell near a school building, while another struck the terminal building of Nakhchivan International Airport. According to official information, two people were injured as a result of the incident.

This event caused serious concern within Azerbaijani society and once again demonstrated how sensitive security issues in the region remain. The Republic of Azerbaijan has always supported stability in the region, good-neighborly relations, and cooperation based on mutual respect. Particularly in relations with neighboring states, including Iran, maintaining a balanced policy and adhering to the principles of dialogue and mutual understanding are among the main priorities of Azerbaijan’s multi-vector foreign policy.

Although certain tensions have arisen in relations with Iran following the Second Karabakh-Patriotic War in 2020, and despite repeated unjust and unlawful actions against our country, Azerbaijan has always demonstrated restraint, prioritizing the peaceful resolution of issues through diplomatic and legal means. Despite serious incidents such as the armed terrorist attack on the Azerbaijani Embassy in Tehran on January 27, 2023, official Baku has maintained a firm yet responsible approach in order to preserve regional stability and prevent further escalation of relations.

The recent incident in Nakhchivan once again demonstrated the strength of the sense of statehood and national solidarity within Azerbaijani society. As always, the Azerbaijani people support the state’s position regarding the protection of the country’s security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and unite closely around President Ilham Aliyev. In response to such acts of terrorism and unjust treatment, Azerbaijan plans to take the necessary steps within diplomatic and legal mechanisms based on the norms and principles of international law.

At the same time, Azerbaijan today is among the few active states contributing to international cooperation and addressing global challenges. Currently, within the framework of cooperation with the United Nations in the field of urban development and settlement policy, Azerbaijan is preparing to host an important international event-the Thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum, which will be held in the city of Baku this year. Naturally, such incidents occurring in the region ahead of such a significant event attract the attention of the international community.

It should be noted that Azerbaijan has repeatedly proven that it is one of the countries that promotes dialogue on international platforms, strengthens cooperation, and demonstrates a responsible position in discussing and resolving global problems.

In this regard, I believe that the international community will express its position on this unjust step taken by a neighboring state against Azerbaijan, approach the matter objectively and with principle, and express its stance on preserving stability in the region and respecting the norms and principles of international law. On the one hand, this will demonstrate support from international organizations and major powers for the protection of Azerbaijan’s sovereignty; on the other hand, it will show support for our country’s determination in addressing global challenges.

As always, the goal of the Republic of Azerbaijan is to strengthen peace and security in the world, including in the region, and to develop relations based on mutual respect and sustainable cooperation.

—–

The author is a Member of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan

The views and opinions expressed by guest columnists in their articles may differ from those of the editorial board and do not necessarily reflect its views.

Azerbaijan has discussed potential cooperation with the British-based technology company Palantir Technologies in the field of critical infrastructure monitoring.

As reported by AzerNEWS, according to Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transport, Rashad Nabiyev, the discussions took place during his official visit to the United Kingdom. The minister shared details of the meeting in a post on the social media platform X (Twitter).

During the meeting with representatives of Palantir, the sides explored opportunities for cooperation in several strategic areas, including national data integration, artificial intelligence governance, cybersecurity, and monitoring of critical infrastructure.

The discussions also covered the development of local expertise, knowledge transfer initiatives, and Azerbaijan’s potential role in supporting the deployment of Palantir platforms in countries across Africa.

Minister Nabiyev noted that the exchange of views focused on strengthening technological collaboration and expanding the practical application of advanced digital solutions.

Israel’s military claims 50 of its fighter jets attacked what it described as an ‘underground bunker’ in Tehran that had been built for the late supreme leader, AzerNEWS reports.

In a statement, it claimed the compound ‘extended beneath entire streets in central Tehran’ and included meeting rooms, adding that senior government officials continued using the facility after Khamenei’s killing.

Khamenei’s death was confirmed by the Iranian government on 1 March. His death occurred as part of a wider joint operation by the United States and Israel, using strategic locations intelligence from the US’s Central Intelligence Agency to determine the whereabouts of several leaders.

Moscow is providing Tehran with information aimed at targeting the United States troops in the Middle East, the Washington Post reported on Friday, citing three officials familiar with the matter, AzerNEWS reports.

The outlet claimed that Russia has been informing Iran of the locations of US military assets since the beginning of the conflict on Saturday. “It does seem like it’s a pretty comprehensive effort,” one of the officials allegedly said on the condition of anonymity.

The Russian Embassy in Washington refused to comment on the report. Russia’s involvement in the war would intensify an already volatile geopolitical situation.

On Thursday, the Kremlin made the following statements regarding Iran:

– “This is not our war. We need to act in our own interests concerning Iran.”

– “We must minimize the impact of the ongoing shocks in the global economy on our own economy and, wherever possible, achieve favorable outcomes.”

The Belgian Embassy in Azerbaijan has strongly condemned Iran’s drone attacks on the territory of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, expressing solidarity with Baku in the wake of the strikes, AzerNEWS reports.

In a statement posted on the social network X, the diplomatic mission declared: ‘The embassy expresses its full solidarity with Azerbaijan after the attacks on the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. We strongly condemn these attacks, which endanger civilians and violate Azerbaijan’s sovereignty, as well as international law. We wish the victims a speedy recovery.’

The strikes occurred around noon on March 5, when drones launched from Iranian territory targeted civilian infrastructure in Nakhchivan. One drone hit the terminal building of Nakhchivan International Airport, injuring four civilians, while another fell near a school in the village of Shekarabad.

Following the incident, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Azerbaijan, Mujtaba Demirchilu, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Azerbaijani officials have stated that the country reserves the right to retaliate against the attacks.

There are moments in history when the inability to make a decision itself becomes a decision, and the consequences of that decision shape the destiny of a nation for decades to come. We are at precisely such a juncture today.

The world is transitioning to a new power order. The borders of states no longer carry meaning limited to the lines visible on a map. Information flows, communication channels, financial systems, military coordination, and energy networks are all tied to space infrastructure. If this infrastructure is not under your control, your sovereignty is not complete. We must therefore accept that the frontiers of the future will be drawn not on land, but in orbit.

Visible and Invisible Borders

Azerbaijan knows what it means to defend its visible borders. As a people, we understand the true price of statehood. Yet in the twenty-first century, security is no longer confined to physical frontiers.

Today, invisible borders exist: orbital positions, frequency spectrums, satellite communications, space observation capabilities, and navigation systems.

If control over these invisible borders is weak, the stability of the visible ones is also placed at risk. Dependence on foreign satellite services can create strategic vulnerabilities for critical infrastructure. As this makes clear, state security can no longer be ensured through a ground-based defense concept alone.

If a communication system depends on external actors, if surveillance data is obtained from foreign platforms, and if navigation capabilities are not under national control, a state may appear politically independent while remaining strategically constrained and susceptible to external influence.

Independence is not measured solely by a flag, a constitution, and international recognition. In the twenty-first century, a state’s genuine sovereignty lies in its functional control over vital systems. A state that does not possess communication, surveillance, navigation, and space infrastructure becomes strategically limited and subject to external influence. The concept of Cosmic Homeland addresses precisely this gap – it is the strategic framework for securing national functional independence in the space domain. Without it, a state may be politically independent yet functionally constrained.

Cosmic Homeland is not a territorial expansion claim. It is the systematic establishment of national functional sovereignty in the space domain. This is no longer a matter of choice – it is a prerequisite for a state’s sustainable existence in the twenty-first century.

Orbital Diplomacy

The orbital position at 46° East longitude in geostationary orbit, located approximately 36,000 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, has belonged to Azerbaijan since 2023. A decade before that, Azerspace-1, our country’s first telecommunications satellite, was operating at that very position – under C and Ku frequency bands – through an orbital resource administered by Malaysia. If that era represented Azerbaijan’s operational presence in space, then 2023 marked the formal establishment of the country’s first sovereign orbital position in geostationary orbit, as that position transitioned to national control in both legal and technical terms.

It must be noted that our country’s resources in the space environment are limited. Orbital positions and frequency spectrums are not infinite. We must act before others if we are to further expand our positions. Whoever falls behind in this domain will be compelled to integrate into a space ecosystem built by others. Strategic vacuums do not remain vacant for long – they are filled by more agile actors.

This is why orbital diplomacy serves as the legal and geopolitical instrument of the Cosmic Homeland strategy.

The orbital diplomacy to be developed must ensure not only the protection of national orbital rights but also active participation in international space mechanisms, the effective registration of frequency resources, and the promotion of regional cooperation initiatives. Passivity in outer space is synonymous with strategic risk.

In advanced nations, artificial intelligence systems are already processing space-derived data. The digital economy is being built upon satellite infrastructure, and modern security concepts demand space integration.

In the emerging space ecosystem, we have two options: to be among those who write the rules, or to be among those who adapt to rules written by others. The choice is ours. If we fail to take initiative, tomorrow the rules will be set by others.

The Cosmic Homeland strategy is not solely a matter of security. It represents the next stage of the national development model. This approach can broaden Azerbaijan’s prospects for regional technological leadership and consolidate its position in the value chain of the digital economy. Cosmic Homeland is, therefore, a comprehensive strategic framework encompassing security, economics, and geopolitics.

History rarely offers nations a second chance. I state with conviction: a nation that does not think in cosmic terms today will be subject to cosmic decisions tomorrow. A state that fails to demonstrate strategic will in this domain will become the executor of another’s strategic agenda.

The concept of Cosmic Homeland is not an emotional appeal – it is a strategic necessity for ensuring functional sovereignty. Considering the current geopolitical landscape, time does not work in our favor in this domain. We must therefore understand that uncontrolled orbital positions will not remain vacant for long, and that strategic vacuums will be filled without delay.

We face two choices: either we become a power in orbit, or we remain dependent on the power established in orbit. The decision must be made now.

——

Ceyhun Khalilov is the Chairman of the Public Union for Support to the Development of New Technologies