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| With which countries is Israel being forced to increase its closeness with the agreement of Saudi Arabia and Iran? |
At a time when, as a result of China's mediation, it seems possible to restore diplomatic relations after the historic agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Efforts have started.
It should be noted that there was a lot of tension between Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and Shia-majority Iran, and these two countries competing for supremacy in the Middle East have been considering each other as a threat.
On the other hand, in 2020, Israel restored relations with Saudi Arabia's neighbors the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain as a result of the Abraham Accords. Israel has repeatedly expressed its desire to establish closeness with Saudi Arabia.
According to the Reuters news agency, on Wednesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen hinted at a visit to Saudi Arabia shortly, saying that another Arab country will restore relations with Israel this year. However, he did not name the country.
He said this during his visit to Azerbaijan. Cohen also said that "Saudi Arabia's enemy is not Israel, but Iran."
When he was asked about the restoration of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, he said, "Such a development would be good for Israel."
But this development between Iran and Saudi Arabia has hampered Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's efforts to isolate Iran diplomatically in the region.
Perhaps that is why Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu warned Saudi Arabia in an interview given to the American TV channel CNBC last night.
He said that 95% of the problems in the Middle East are created by Iran. Look at Lebanon, look at Yemen, look at Syria, Iraq.
It should be noted that Iran's President Ibrahim Raisi recently invited Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz to visit, while on the other hand, on Wednesday, Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jeddah.
In such a situation, Israel's efforts to build relations with Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan are considered important.
Growing relations between Azerbaijan and Israel
On April 19, Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen met with President Ilham Aliyev in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, where the two countries discussed bilateral relations, regional challenges, and trade relations, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
In this statement, the Israeli Foreign Minister said that Azerbaijan is a Muslim country and our relations become very important due to its special geographical position.
Such words have been used several times by Israel and the United States for Azerbaijan.
It should be noted that Azerbaijan has recently opened its embassy in Israel and at that time it was said in the Israeli media that Azerbaijan is the first Shia country to open its embassy in Israel.
The Haaretz newspaper wrote that relations between the two countries are due to shared concerns about Iranian influence in the region, while tensions between Azerbaijan and Iran have increased.
Earlier in March last year, Haaretz newspaper reported that Israel provided arms worth billions of dollars to Azerbaijan in exchange for oil from Azerbaijan.
The investigative report also alleged that Azerbaijan had allowed the Israeli spy agency Mossad to open an office to monitor Iran.
Earlier in 2012, the American magazine Foreign Policy said that Azerbaijan and Israel had become closer than people expected. According to a magazine report, Israel has signed an agreement with Azerbaijan regarding its airspace in the event of a war against Iran's nuclear program.
Israeli Embassy in Turkmenistan
Israel is also increasing proximity to another neighboring country of Iran, Turkmenistan, which is evidenced by the opening of the Israeli embassy in Turkmenistan.
On April 19, an Israeli newspaper published a report that the Israeli foreign minister would attend the opening ceremony of the Israeli embassy in Ashgabat on April 20. During this visit, the Israeli Foreign Minister will also meet with the President and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan.
It should be noted that Ashgabat, which is the capital of Turkmenistan, is only 20 kilometers away from the Iranian border. According to the Israeli newspaper, the choice of the location of the embassy is also a message for Iran.
So far, however, there has been no news in the Iranian media about the opening of the Israeli embassy in the capital of Turkmenistan, so close to the border.
Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen will be the first minister to visit Turkmenistan since 1994 when then Foreign Minister Shimon Peres visited Turkmenistan.
The never-ending war between Iran and Israel
The conflict between Iran and Israel is decades old. Iran does not recognize Israel. Israel, on the other hand, has repeatedly said that it will not accept a nuclear-armed Iran.
Israel has been raising global concerns over Iran's nuclear facilities and has accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons. However, Iran denies the charge, claiming that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Former US President Donald Trump terminated the nuclear agreement between Iran and the Western world. However, after the new President Joe Biden took office, efforts are being made to revive the agreement.
Iran has also repeatedly accused Israel of attacking its nuclear facilities and killing Iranian nuclear scientists. Israel does not deny or confirm the allegations.
There is also a sea of confrontation between the two countries where there have been unannounced and mysterious attacks on ships in the past.