The BBC has an article distinguished by its depth of analysis on Israeli-Azerbaijani relations. Azerbaijan and Israel have forged a very strong anti-Iranian alliance. Curiously, the population of Azerbaijan is overwhelmingly Muslim, but the government maintains a strong secular position and regards the religious foundations of the Iranian state as a threat to that position. In the case of an Israeli attack on Iran, there are strong suspicions, strongly denied by the government, that Azerbaijan will allow its territory to be used as forward bases for the attack.
Reuters is reporting that the US and Turkey are exploring the option of a no-fly zone in Syria. Similar tactics were tried in Iraq, and, in a modified way, in Libya. But in both of those cases, the UN Security Council approved the move. It remains to be seen if China and Russia would approve the intervention. There is also the possibility that the US and Turkey could try to persuade NATO to implement the policy, sidestepping the Security Council as was done in Kosovo in 1998. In that case, the danger of the violence spilling over into a wider regional war increases dramatically.
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