Relations between Tehran and Baku have taken a turn for the worse in recent months due to several external factors. It is generally agreed that the recent tension between Azerbaijan and Iran has resulted from the Iranian nuclear issue. In January, Azerbaijan said it had detained two persons allegedly linked to Iranian intelligence accused of plotting attacks. Last month, the Azerbaijani government said it had uncovered a terror cell within its borders with links to Iran and Lebanon. Iran, in turn, has expressed concern over alleged Israeli intelligence activity in the oil-rich Caucasian state. Some experts point out that, the United States has been trying to bring Azerbaijan into the security system of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in recent years, while Israel has strengthened the military exchanges with Azerbaijan. These moves have drawn Iran's attention, and cast a shadow over the relationship between Azerbaijan and Iran. "We have a little bit tension betw! een Azerbaijani and Iranian relations. And unfortunately, we don't see a positive development because there is no will for developing relations and for forgetting these conflicting issues," said Arastun Orujlu, head of East-West Research Center in Azerbaijan. As neighboring countries, Azerbaijan and Iran share land boundary of more than 600 miles. Azerbaijani people, the second largest ethnic group in Iran, make up a quarter of its whole population. The two close-related countries also share a lot of ...
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