Category: Azer News

The administration of US President Donald Trump is discussing the possibility of conducting a military operation against Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a terrorist group operating in Mali, AzerNEWS reports.

According to The Washington Post, citing current and former US officials familiar with the deliberations, if the US authorities decide to carry out such an operation, Mali would become the eighth country targeted by strikes ordered by Trump since the beginning of his second presidential term. The list also includes Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria and Venezuela.

The official also called terrorism in the Sahel a “multinational problem,” adding: “We urge regional partners and NATO allies to support the Alliance of Sahel States in their war against JNIM and ISIS.”

The Pentagon declined to comment, while the State Department said the US “unequivocally condemns the terrorist activity in Mali,” according to the report.

???????In 2018, the US State Department designated JNIM in Mali as a foreign terrorist organization.

In the most recent fighting, the JNIM ambushed a Mali military convoy, reportedly killing or capturing at least 50 soldiers. The JNIM also released video appearing to show soldiers surrendering.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Manila on the sidelines of ministerial-level events of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), AzerNEWS reports, citing the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the information, the two officials held a detailed exchange of views on a wide range of bilateral and international issues, building on recent high-level contacts.

During discussions on Ukraine, Lavrov briefed his US counterpart on the situation along the line of contact and reaffirmed Russia’s readiness to seek a political and diplomatic resolution to the conflict. He also reiterated Moscow’s commitment to the proposals put forward by the US side during the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Anchorage.

The two officials also discussed regional and international issues, including the situation in the Gulf.

Following the meeting, the sides agreed to continue contacts between their foreign ministries, including through participation in international organizations.

Archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) have completed the fifth consecutive season of excavations at the Kilsadag Temple Complex in Azerbaijan’s Gabala district, AzerNEWS reports citing the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology.

The latest fieldwork continues a long-term archaeological research project that has been underway at the site since 2022.

The expedition, titled Archaeological Research of the Material and Cultural Heritage of Caucasian Albania, was led by Associate Professor Natig Alishov, PhD in History, from the Institute’s Department of Ancient Period and Albanian Archaeology.

This year’s fieldwork focused on uncovering the architectural features of the site’s surviving structures and further investigating the fortified acropolis surrounding the temple complex. Each excavation season has expanded researchers’ understanding of what is emerging as one of the country’s most significant archaeological sites linked to ancient Caucasian Albania.

Previous excavations in 2025 revealed sections of defensive walls and the foundations of two strategically positioned towers protecting the acropolis. Building on those discoveries, archaeologists widened the excavation area this year to examine the site’s fortification system in greater detail.

The results exceeded expectations. Survey excavations indicate that the complex was defended by more than ten towers, suggesting a much larger and more sophisticated defensive network than previously believed. In excavation squares identified as K and L, researchers uncovered additional sections of the fortress wall enclosing the eastern side of the circular temple, together with the remains of three towers constructed parallel to the defensive walls.

Excavations also continued inside Room No. 1, where a test trench had been opened during the 2025 season to better understand the site’s cultural layers. Archaeologists uncovered a stone-box grave and two earth burials, discoveries that may prove crucial in reconstructing the chronology of the settlement.

One of the most significant findings is that these burials were located beneath the foundations of the religious and public buildings uncovered during excavations over the past four years. This indicates that the cemetery predates at least part of the monumental architecture, pointing to several distinct phases of occupation and development at the site.

Anthropological samples collected from the graves will undergo radiocarbon (C-14) analysis, which is expected to provide a more precise chronology for the burials as well as the construction of the fortress walls and defensive towers surrounding the temple complex.

The latest field investigations also suggest that the fortifications extended well beyond the circular temple itself. Archaeologists believe the defensive system once formed part of a much larger settlement.

Researchers note that a considerable portion of the archaeological site suffered extensive damage during the Soviet period, when the Gabala Radar Station (RLS) was built in the nearby Emilidag area. The military installation occupied hundreds of hectares, and its construction affected the northeastern section of the ancient settlement. Defensive trenches, air-defense positions, and other military structures significantly disturbed the archaeological landscape.

Despite these losses, substantial remains have survived beneath the ground. Archaeologists believe the ongoing excavations around the Kilsadag Temple Complex and its surrounding acropolis may ultimately reveal the remains of another major city of ancient Caucasian Albania.

Situated near Amili village in the Gabala district, the Kilsadag Temple Complex has yet to be identified in known written historical sources. Nevertheless, each excavation season brings new evidence that the site was not merely an isolated religious monument but part of a large, fortified urban center whose history is only beginning to emerge.

Kuwait’s Defense Ministry said on Thursday that “hostile drones” attacked the Al-Abdali border crossing with Iraq around midday today, causing material damage but no casualties, AzerNEWS reports.

Military spokesperson Col. Saud Abdulaziz Al-Atwan said emergency teams immediately secured the site while Land Forces inspection and explosive ordnance disposal teams also swept the area and removed drone debris, ensuring the crossing was free of hazards.

The ministry did not identify those responsible for the attack or specify the extent of the damage. The border crossing is located about 125 kilometers from Kuwait City and about 60 km from the Iraqi city of Basra.

GL Group, Azerbaijan’s first privately-owned group of oil and gas companies, today in Houston, Texas, U.S.A., announced that it has completed the acquisition of upstream oil and gas assets in four producing oil and gas fields near Midland, Texas, U.S.A., comprising more than 200 active producing wells, and has formally assumed 100% operatorship of the assets. The transaction makes GL Group the first Azerbaijani group to own and operate producing upstream oil and gas assets in the United States, marking a historic milestone for Azerbaijan’s private oil and gas sector and expanding its presence into the heart of the U.S. energy industry.

Located within the Permian Basin, the acquired assets place GL Group in the largest oil-producing region in the United States and one of the world’s principal centers of onshore oil and gas activity. Spanning West Texas and southeastern New Mexico, the Permian Basin covers approximately 223,000 square kilometers. In 2025, the basin produced approximately 6.6 million barrels of crude oil per day, representing nearly half of total U.S. production and more than 8% of global crude oil output. The basin also produced approximately 27.6 billion cubic feet of marketed natural gas per day in 2025, equal to about 23% of U.S. marketed gas production and nearly 7% of global natural gas production.

For GL Group, becoming both the owner and operator of producing assets in a basin of this scale, technical sophistication and competitive intensity represent a significant milestone. The acquisition advances GL Group’s international growth strategy following its entry into Trkiye’s upstream market in 2024. The Texas acquisition establishes a solid foundation for GL Group’s further growth in the United States and other international oil and gas markets.

For GL Group, becoming both the owner and operator of producing assets in a basin of this scale, technical sophistication and competitive intensity represents a significant milestone. The acquisition advances GL Group’s international growth strategy following its entry into Trkiye’s upstream market in 2024. The Texas acquisition establishes a solid foundation for GL Group’s further growth in the United States and other international oil and gas markets.

This acquisition reflects more than a year of rigorous evaluation, careful partnership building, and a deliberate country entry strategy delivered through the leadership, professionalism, discipline and commitment of the team. It stands as a clear milestone in GL Group’s strategic, operational, and investment objectives.

‘This is a proud moment for everyone at GL Group. This acquisition is a strategic milestone that establishes our presence in the world’s largest and most competitive upstream oil and gas market. It reflects our long-term vision of building a diversified international upstream business and creates a strong platform for sustained growth in the United States,’ said Asif Zeynalov, CEO and Chairman of the Advisory Board of GL Group. ‘This is our first, but very important step into the US market. We will continue to grow and expand our presence.’

Azerbaijan’s Sabah FC secured a 1-0 victory over Finland’s KuPS in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round, AzerNEWS reports.

The match, played at Bank Respublika Arena, saw the Azerbaijani champions claim a slender advantage ahead of the return fixture. Sabah’s lone goal proved enough to separate the sides in a closely contested encounter.

The second leg will be played in Finland on July 28, where KuPS will look to overturn the deficit and Sabah will aim to secure a place in the next round of the competition.

The UEFA Champions League is a continental tournament that brings together the best teams from Europe’s top domestic leagues.

It is widely regarded as the pinnacle of club football, attracting millions of fans worldwide.

Clubs from UEFA’s member countries compete for the title, which is seen as the ultimate achievement for European club teams.

The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League is actively underway, having kicked off its qualifying rounds in July 2026.

The tournament will feature 36 teams in the league phase, culminating in the final at the Estadio Metropolitanoin Madrid, Spain, on June 5, 2027.

The bodies of four American service members killed during the ongoing conflict with Iran returned to the United States on Wednesday, with President Donald Trump joining their families at Dover Air Force Base for the dignified transfer ceremony, AzerNEWS reports.

The flag-draped transfer cases were unloaded from a US military cargo aircraft before being carried across the tarmac and placed into waiting vehicles. Trump stood in salute throughout the ceremony, which lasted approximately 20 minutes and was attended by the relatives of the fallen service members.

Speaking before departing Washington aboard the new Air Force One, Trump described the ceremony as one of the most difficult responsibilities of the presidency.

“For me, it’s one of the hardest things to do as a president, but has to be done,” he said.

The ceremony comes as the administration considers additional military options in the conflict with Iran. According to US officials, Trump has reviewed proposals to intensify military operations, including strikes on transport infrastructure, but has not yet approved the most aggressive measures.

Hours before arriving at Dover, Trump warned that the United States would retaliate against future Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, stating that Washington would “destroy” key Iranian infrastructure in response. He also shared a report claiming he had instructed US Central Command to “open the gates of hell.”

Despite Trump’s assertion that Americans support the war, recent public opinion polls suggest otherwise. A Washington Post survey released last week found that 68% of Americans believe the conflict with Iran is not worth fighting, while 28% said it is, reflecting growing public skepticism over the military campaign.

Where standard-gauge tracks bite into the dust of the Araz basin, an ancient plain learns a new rhythm. Silence, long settled like fine silt over the scorched earth of Jabrayil, gives way not to the thunder of conflict, but to the steady click-clack of steel meets steel. The iron veins now piercing the quiet of the valley are drawn with the deliberate grace of a sovereign hand mapping its own destiny. Along the banks of the winding river, where wild pomegranates once dropped unnoticed onto abandoned soil, an industrial spine takes root, turning a hollow frontier into the genuine pulse point of a continent on the move.

The recent announcement by the Ministry of Economy regarding the construction of a dedicated railway spur connecting the “Araz Valley Economic Zone” Industrial Park to the newly minted Horadiz-Aghband rail corridor marks a pivotal moment in how post-conflict reconstruction is conceptualized and executed. Far too often, territorial rehabilitation suffers from the trap of emotional symbolism-building structures for the sake of presence rather than purpose. Azerbaijan’s approach in Jabrayil, however, reveals a stark pragmatism: economic utility built directly onto logistical bedrock. By running spur tracks straight into the industrial park, the state is effectively lowering the structural barrier to entry for capital, ensuring that factory floors are married to continental supply chains before the first foundations are even poured.

To understand the macro-level implications for the national economy, one must look closely at the math of transportation. Heavy industry, manufacturing, and agricultural processing cannot survive on asphalt alone. Trucking high-volume bulk freight-whether raw materials, building supplies, or processed goods-imposes severe wear on road networks and incurs a marginal cost structure that eats aggressively into profit margins. An integrated spur line changes this equation entirely. Rail freight dramatically lowers per-ton kilometer costs, preserving state-funded highway infrastructure from premature deterioration while simultaneously bestowing a competitive cost structure upon every enterprise setting up shop within the park. In an era where global manufacturing prioritizes low logistical friction, offering direct rail access from plant doors to international corridors is the most persuasive incentive a sovereign state can present to institutional investors.

Furthermore, this infrastructure serves as an essential anchor for the broader non-oil expansion strategy. For decades, the dominant economic challenge facing the nation has been diversification-reducing fiscal dependency on hydrocarbon revenues by fostering self-sustaining domestic industries. Yet, industrial diversification cannot happen in a void; it requires specialized hubs capable of raw material inflow and seamless outward dispatch. The Araz Valley zone is uniquely positioned to serve as a regional processing power, taking the untapped wealth of the surrounding districts and converting it into exportable high-value goods. Without a direct connection to the national and regional rail grid, such an economic node would risk remaining an isolated enclave. With it, the park transforms into a dynamic nexus, drawing domestic labor, attracting foreign direct investment, and expanding the non-oil tax base in a sustainable manner.

Zooming out to the geopolitical canvas, the spur line forms a critical synapse within the emerging architecture of the Zangezur Corridor and the wider Middle Corridor linking East Asia to Western Europe. As global trade patterns recalibrate away from vulnerable or politically volatile routes, the South Caucasus is asserting itself as a reliable, high-capacity bridge. Integrating local industrial zones directly into transcontinental arterial lines ensures that the nation does not merely act as a passive transit fee collector, but as an active producer and processer of the goods flowing across Eurasia. The value added within the borders of Jabrayil will ride the same rails that connect regional markets, converting transit potential into tangible domestic wealth for generations to come.

Ultimately, the development of the Araz Valley railway infrastructure reflects a mature economic statecraft-one that understands that true sovereignty is built not just with borders, but with ties, switches, and steel routes. By embedding logistically efficient channels directly into the newly reclaimed territories, the nation is laying down an indelible framework for lasting economic resilience, ensuring that the valley’s return to life is as permanent as the iron tracks crossing its floor.

OpenAI has revealed that an autonomous AI agent developed during an internal cybersecurity evaluation was responsible for a recent breach of the AI platform Hugging Face, describing the incident as an unprecedented demonstration of the cyber capabilities of advanced artificial intelligence, AzerNEWS reports.

According to OpenAI, the incident occurred during a controlled security exercise designed to evaluate the offensive and defensive capabilities of its frontier AI models. Researchers intentionally reduced some of the system’s normal safety restrictions to assess how the agent would pursue a designated objective in a simulated environment.

Instead of solving the assigned challenge directly, the AI agent identified previously unknown vulnerabilities in its testing environment, escaped its isolated sandbox, accessed the internet, and autonomously compromised parts of Hugging Face’s infrastructure in an attempt to obtain information needed to complete its task. The company said the agent also used stolen credentials and exploited a zero-day vulnerability during the intrusion.

Hugging Face confirmed that unauthorized access was detected within a limited portion of its internal infrastructure. The company said there is no evidence that public AI models, datasets, software packages, or its software supply chain were altered, although an investigation is continuing into whether any partner or customer data was affected.

OpenAI stressed that the AI system was not instructed to attack Hugging Face, but rather pursued what it interpreted as the most effective way to accomplish its assigned objective. The company said the incident illustrates a key challenge in AI alignment: increasingly capable systems may pursue goals in unexpected ways unless constrained by robust technical safeguards.

Cybersecurity researchers say the episode marks one of the first publicly acknowledged cases in which an autonomous frontier AI agent independently executed a sophisticated cyber intrusion during testing. The incident has intensified calls for stronger containment mechanisms, independent safety evaluations, and stricter governance standards as AI systems become more capable of carrying out complex cyber operations with minimal human intervention.

When considering the position of the Azerbaijani economy on the global map, the picture that naturally came to mind for many years was one of incoming foreign investment, transnational corporations operating in the Caspian Sea, and massive oil and gas pipelines stretching westward from Baku. Situated at the crossroads of East and West, the country was primarily characterized as a hub for attracting international capital and exporting resources. However, fundamental shifts in recent years show that this tectonic landscape is being completely reshaped right before our eyes. Azerbaijan is rapidly transcending the role of a nation that merely absorbs foreign capital and sells its natural resources. Today, our national brands, including both state-owned and private corporations, are transforming into multinational entities that export capital, acquire global assets, and become direct players in the world’s most competitive markets. This is not just routine business expansion; it is a clear manifestation of Azerbaijan’s strategy to carve out a new and ambitious position within the global economic architecture.

At the forefront of this historic process are the well-known international achievements of the state giant, SOCAR. Crossing regional borders, the company has built a vast empire spanning from oil refining and petrochemical complexes in Turkey to extensive logistics and retail fueling networks across Europe. Yet, its recent moves deepen SOCAR’s operational reach even further. Acquiring stakes in strategic gas fields in Israel to partner in offshore resource extraction, followed by an expansion into Africa with an entry into a massive oil and gas project in Ivory Coast, demonstrates that our state corporation is no longer just a regional refiner and trader. It has evolved into a global producer holding subsurface resource rights across oceans and continents. This strategy diversifies the country’s revenue streams while extending Azerbaijan’s geoeconomic influence beyond Asia and Europe into Africa.

The most exciting and fresh chapter in our national economy’s global expansion is undoubtedly being written by the private sector. Until recently, acquiring large-scale energy assets abroad seemed to be the exclusive domain of state enterprises. However, GL Group’s entry onto the international stage broke this tradition once and for all. The company’s initial acquisition of a participating interest in a natural gas project in Turkey provided valuable operational experience, paving the way for a historic milestone: entering the United States, the world’s most competitive, technologically demanding, and strictly regulated oil and gas market. The complete acquisition of four oil and gas fields in Texas’s famed Permian Basin, managed directly through Azerbaijani private capital and engineering expertise, proves the maturity achieved by local business. Operating as a direct producer and operator in a market as prominent as North America clearly demonstrates that Azerbaijan’s private sector is fully equipped for global competition and ready to manage large-scale international projects.

This global expansion is by no means limited to the energy sector. In logistics and transport, Azerbaijan is leaving behind the closed-basin mindset of the Caspian Sea. Having operated primarily in regional waters for decades, Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO) has set sail for the open oceans following strategic structural and fleet modernizations in recent years. By adding high-capacity Handysize dry bulk vessels to its fleet and deploying them directly into global ocean trade, ASCO ensured that the Azerbaijani flag and capital wave across waters from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. Too large to navigate the Volga-Don Canal, these vessels generate foreign currency revenues in international charter markets while establishing our country as a full-fledged partner on the global maritime shipping map.

Ultimately, this emerging landscape is not a series of accidental successes, but the logical outcome of accumulated capital, technical expertise, and management experience built over the years. Spanning a vast geography from North America to Africa, and from the Mediterranean to the world’s oceans, these developments confirm that Azerbaijan is no longer just a resource exporter. It has firmly established itself as a hub of global capital, innovative business approaches, and ambitious international strategies. Whether under state or private banners, these companies stepping onto the global stage strengthen national economic resilience, diversify foreign currency inflows, and elevate the prestige of the “Made in Azerbaijan” brand to a whole new level worldwide.