Category: Azer News

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Wednesday that its troops struck several weapons depots across the Gaza Strip during the week, claiming that one of the storage facilities was hidden inside a mosque, AzerNEWS reports.

“This is an additional example of the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip exploiting civilian infrastructure for terrorist purposes by storing weapons in the heart of the civilian population, including in religious sites, to facilitate terrorist activity,” the Israeli military shared in a post on Telegram.

Previously, the IDF said that it dismantled an underground Hezbollah command center, established beneath a business building in southern Lebanon.

On July 28, the Baku Court of Appeal continued judicial proceedings on the appeals filed by citizens of the Republic of Armenia-Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, and others-who were convicted by the Baku Military Court for crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes resulting from Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan, including the preparation and waging of aggressive war, genocide, violations of the laws and customs of war, terrorism, financing of terrorism, forcible seizure of power, and numerous other offenses.

At the court session, presided over by Judge Elmar Rahimov of the Baku Court of Appeal, joined by Judges Emin Mehdiyev and Mehriban Garayeva (Reserve Judge Ali Mammadov also participated), all individuals subject to appellate proceedings were provided with interpreters in their respective spoken languages-Armenian and Russian-as well as defense counsel to ensure their right to a defense.

The court session was attended by representatives of the victims and state prosecutors representing the public prosecution, including Abbas Abbasli, Head of Department at the State Prosecution Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office, and department prosecutors Anar Alakbarov and Sevinj Gasimova.

At the beginning of the session, it was announced that employees of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan were also attending the proceedings as observers.

The hearing proceeded with closing statements by the state prosecutors.

In their statements, state prosecutors Anar Alakbarov and Sevinj Gasimova said that evidence examined during the judicial investigation confirmed that Garik Martirosyan, Davit Allahverdyan, Levon Balayan, Vasili Beglaryan, Gurgen Stepanyan, and Erik Ghazaryan, along with other defendants, participated in the occupation and continued occupation of the sovereign territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan by Armenia, carried out various illegal activities, participated in criminal formations established and patronized by Armenia, and took part in waging an aggressive war.

The prosecutors said that the credible evidence gathered in the case confirmed that the conclusions reached by the court of first instance were lawful and well-founded, while the arguments raised in the appeals were unsubstantiated.

Delivering a further statement, Abbas Abbasli, Head of Department at the State Prosecution Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office, stated that the conviction rendered by the court of first instance fully complied with the requirements of both national legislation and universally recognized principles and norms of international law.

The prosecutor emphasized that statements, expert opinions, records, physical evidence, documents, video, and photographic materials were examined both individually and collectively, and that the verdict was rendered based on the specific actions of each defendant, each defendant’s degree of participation in the alleged crimes, and the established facts of the case.

The state prosecutor requested that the court dismiss the appeals and uphold the conviction of the Baku Military Court without changes.

The judge then announced the conclusion of the closing statements, after which the defense exercised its statutory right to rebuttal.

The right to rebuttal was first granted to the defense counsel for Bako Sahakyan. In his rebuttal, the attorney requested the court to grant the appeal, overturn the verdict of the court of first instance, and acquit Bako Sahakyan.

The right to rebuttal was then granted to Bako Sahakyan himself. Bako Sahakyan stated that he wished to exercise his right to rebuttal during the next court session.

Subsequently, the right to rebuttal was granted to the defense counsel for Arayik Harutyunyan. The defense attorney requested the court to acquit his client.

Exercising his right to rebuttal, Arayik Harutyunyan stated that he did not accept the charges brought against him.

The next court session will take place on July 31.

Under the verdict of the Baku Military Court dated February 5, 2026, Arayik Harutyunyan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, David Manukyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, and David Babayan were sentenced to life imprisonment. Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan were sentenced to 20 years, Madat Babayan and Melikset Pashayan to 19 years, Garik Martirosyan to 18 years, Davit Allahverdyan and Levon Balayan to 16 years, and Vasili Beglaryan, Gurgen Stepanyan, and Erik Ghazaryan to 15 years’ imprisonment.

The military situation in the Middle East remains tense, continuing to influence oil prices on global energy markets, AzerNEWS reports.

Compared with previous days, oil prices have edged higher today. On the London Stock Exchange, the price of Brent crude rose by $3.18 to $87.27 per barrel, while Light crude increased by $2.76 to $82.02 per barrel.

The main factor behind the stabilization of oil prices is the passage of five vessels through the Strait of Hormuz with the assistance of the U.S. Navy. Two of the vessels were crude oil tankers. Meanwhile, 37 vessels have passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea, approximately 12 of them oil tankers. However, the volume of crude oil carried by these tankers is unknown, meaning that their passage has not had a significant impact on market prices.

Analysts believe that, in some cases, oil transported from the Middle East with the assistance of U.S. military forces has been delivered directly to buyers under existing orders rather than being traded on exchanges. Any major oil refinery could potentially carry out such an operation, although it would come at a very high cost.

According to Kpler, there is currently no significant vessel traffic through either strait. It is also difficult to determine the cargoes carried by the small number of vessels passing through the straits intermittently.

An agreement on the flagship Development Road Project between Iraq and Trkiye was briefly delayed during an official signing ceremony in Ankara after Iraqi Transport Minister Razak al-Sadawi reportedly refused to sign the document, prompting a public intervention by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, AzerNEWS reports.

The incident occurred on Tuesday after al-Zaidi and his delegation held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Presidential Palace. Following the leaders’ meeting and broader delegation talks, the two sides proceeded to a ceremony to sign several bilateral agreements.

The first agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding on Education and Academic Cooperation, was signed by Murat Balci, head of Trkiye’s Police Academy, and Iraqi Chief of Staff and Commander of the Armed Forces General Abdulemir Shammari.

However, as the ceremony continued, confusion emerged when the agreement on the Development Road Project was not signed.

According to Turkish media outlets, President Erdogan noticed the missing agreement and asked, “Weren’t there five agreements?”, before calling Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to the stage.

At the same time, al-Zaidi confronted Transport Minister al-Sadawi over the delay.

According to one putlet, OdaTV, the exchange unfolded as follows:

Al-Zaidi: “Why don’t you sign the Development Road agreement?”

Minister: “I’ll write to you on WhatsApp.”

Al-Zaidi: “Come and sign.”

The prime minister then turned to his interpreter and instructed:

“Tell the President I instructed him to sign it.”

The agreement was subsequently signed, allowing the ceremony to proceed.

According to Turkish media reports, the delay was linked to internal political disagreements within Iraq. Al-Sadawi is reportedly affiliated with the Badr Organization, a political and military movement considered close to Iran.

The reports claim that factions aligned with Iran oppose the Development Road Project because it could weaken Iran’s geopolitical importance as a regional transit corridor while reducing its political and economic influence in Iraq.

The Development Road Project is one of Iraq’s largest infrastructure initiatives, aiming to connect the Grand Faw Port on the Persian Gulf to Trkiye through an integrated rail and highway network, creating a new trade corridor linking Asia with Europe. Baghdad and Ankara view the project as a strategic initiative to boost regional trade, diversify Iraq’s economy, and strengthen bilateral economic cooperation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he asked United States President Donald Trump for a package of 300 Patriot interceptors before next winter, according to his interview with Axios on Wednesday, AzerNEWS reports.

He added that Trump was unable to commit to the deal, as the US stockpile of interceptors has been depleted by the Iran war. However, he said Trump agreed to “move ahead” with granting Ukraine Patriot production licenses.

Zelensky said his relationship with Trump has become “much better and more constructive, not so emotional like it was” at the start of Trump’s second term. He attributed the change to Ukraine’s recent successes in the war against Russia. He told the news outlet that US special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are likely to visit Ukraine in the next two weeks for talks on restarting peace negotiations.

United States President Donald Trump threatened Iran on Wednesday, claiming that the US military will “beat the f***ing sh** out of them” after strikes on a US military base in Jordan, AzerNEWS reports.

“We’ll be hitting them hard, they are going to get a beating,” Trump told Fox News. The US president also said that he was briefed on the attacks and watched footage, disclosing that the US forces had “just minutes” to shoot down incoming ballistic missiles.

Moreover, Trump confirmed that the talks are still ongoing, and added that the attack on Iran-backed militias in Iraq was coordinated with the Iraqi government, describing the militias as “a cancer on the world.” He also touched on his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, saying it was a “great meeting” and that Netanyahu “understands now.”

Azerbaijan’s young triathletes have earned two medals at an international triathlon competition held in Minsk, Belarus, AzerNEWS reports.

Ali Rzazada won the gold medal with a strong performance, while Riad Abbaszade secured the bronze medal, adding another podium finish for the Azerbaijani team.

Azerbaijan’s triathlon athletes have achieved success at various international events, highlighting the country’s growing presence in the sport.

The Azerbaijan Triathlon Federation (ATF) continues to support the development of competitive athletes through training programs, participation in international competitions, and the promotion of triathlon nationwide.

Established in 2013, the ATF is responsible for developing and promoting triathlon in Azerbaijan and is affiliated with World Triathlon and the European Triathlon Union.

Based in Baku, the federation organizes national competitions, supports the national team, and works with the Ministry of Youth and Sports to further develop the sport in the country.

The federation has recorded several important achievements in recent years, including Teymur Farajov becoming the first Azerbaijani triathlete to qualify for the IRONMAN World Championship in 2025.

The United Nations has warned that climate-related disasters are becoming a growing threat to humanity as a result of continued dependence on fossil fuels, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the latest UN data, Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, said the warning signs of climate disaster were now coming from all directions.

“The alarm bells on climate disaster are ringing from every direction. The terrible consequences of the climate crisis are reaching the level of national emergencies for both people and economies,” Stiell said.

The UN noted that more than 250,000 hectares of forest have burned across Europe, with 1,254 fires recorded since the beginning of 2026. Record-breaking wildfires have affected France, Spain and other parts of Europe amid heatwaves, triggering mass evacuations and putting pressure on regional and national economies.

In North Africa, temperatures approaching 49 degrees Celsius are seriously threatening lives and livelihoods, while hospitals and energy systems are coming under severe strain. Deadly storms in Chile have destroyed homes and claimed lives, while temperatures in Japan have reached an unprecedented 40 degrees Celsius.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said reliable monitoring, forecasting, cross-border data sharing and early warning systems are essential to protecting lives, livelihoods and ecosystems.

It is worth adding that more than 330,000 people have been evacuated across Europe, while thousands of hectares of forest have been destroyed as a new wave of extreme heat threatens to undermine firefighters’ efforts to contain the blazes.

Europe could be heading toward its worst wildfire season on record. By the end of July, fires had already destroyed more than 250,000 hectares of land – an area roughly equivalent to the size of Luxembourg.

Nearly half of Americans believe U.S. authorities should arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to the United States, according to a new poll released on Monday, AzerNEWS reports.

The survey found that 49% of respondents support Netanyahu’s arrest while he is on U.S. soil, amid ongoing international scrutiny over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

Netanyahu is currently in Washington, where he is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump and attend the funeral of late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime ally of Israel.

Since Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025, Netanyahu has made several visits to the United States, including meetings at the White House and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, as well as attending the UN General Assembly in New York.

The poll comes as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has renewed calls for Netanyahu’s arrest should he attend this year’s UN General Assembly in September, citing the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israel’s conduct in Gaza.

Netanyahu and the Israeli government reject the allegations and have denounced the ICC’s actions as politically motivated.

An Iranian military official denied Tehran’s involvement in attacks launched from Iraq against Saudi Arabia, rejecting allegations that Iran was behind the latest attacks on the Kingdom, AzerNEWS reports.

In response to comments by Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister, the Iranian official told state broadcaster IRIB that attributing attacks against U.S. interests in the region to Tehran was “a serious mistake stemming from a lack of understanding of the situation in the region.”

The statement came after Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense said its air defense forces had intercepted and destroyed several drones attempting to target oil facilities in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province. According to the ministry, the drones were launched from Iraqi territory by groups backed by Iran.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said U.S. and Saudi forces had carried out joint precision strikes against targets belonging to an Iran-linked group in Iraq. It said the United States targeted facilities associated with attacks on Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia invoked Article 51 of the UN Charter, stating that the attacks had been launched from Iraqi territory against the Kingdom’s oil facilities and that the retaliatory strikes were carried out in self-defense.

Riyadh also warned that military action would continue if Iran-backed groups carried out further attacks against the Kingdom.