310
10 days ago
Azerbaijan says it foils Iranian plots including plan to attack major pipeline
Summary
BAKU, March 7 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan said it had prevented several acts of "terrorist" sabotage planned by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including a plot to attack a major oil pipeline running through the South Caucasus to Turkey.
The targets included the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline, the Israeli embassy in Azerbaijan, an Ashkenazi synagogue, and a leader an ancient Jewish community in Azerbaijan called the Mountain Jews, according to a State Security Service statement cited by the Azertag state news agency late on Friday.
Iran has not commented on the statement.
The BTC pipeline travels via Georgia and Turkey and sends oil to Europe, and also accounts for roughly a third of Israeli oil imports. Any damage to its infrastructure could drive global energy prices even higher as the war in the Middle East enters its second week.
The Azerbaijani statement came just a day after Baku vowed to retaliate for what it said was an incursion of four Iranian drones into its Nakhchivan exclave, which injured four people and damaged airport infrastructure. Iran flatly denied it sent the drones into Azerbaijan.
Baku said an investigation found two Iranian citizens and an Azerbaijani national had colluded to bring over seven kilograms of the C-4 explosive into Azerbaijan on the instructions of the IRGC. Authorities have issued international arrest warrants for four people.
On Friday Azerbaijan ordered the evacuation of its diplomats from Iran, citing safety concerns, amid already tense relations between the two countries over Baku's ties to Israel and Turkey.
(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
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The targets included the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline, the Israeli embassy in Azerbaijan, an Ashkenazi synagogue, and a leader an ancient Jewish community in Azerbaijan called the Mountain Jews, according to a State Security Service statement cited by the Azertag state news agency late on Friday.
Iran has not commented on the statement.
The BTC pipeline travels via Georgia and Turkey and sends oil to Europe, and also accounts for roughly a third of Israeli oil imports. Any damage to its infrastructure could drive global energy prices even higher as the war in the Middle East enters its second week.
The Azerbaijani statement came just a day after Baku vowed to retaliate for what it said was an incursion of four Iranian drones into its Nakhchivan exclave, which injured four people and damaged airport infrastructure. Iran flatly denied it sent the drones into Azerbaijan.
Baku said an investigation found two Iranian citizens and an Azerbaijani national had colluded to bring over seven kilograms of the C-4 explosive into Azerbaijan on the instructions of the IRGC. Authorities have issued international arrest warrants for four people.
On Friday Azerbaijan ordered the evacuation of its diplomats from Iran, citing safety concerns, amid already tense relations between the two countries over Baku's ties to Israel and Turkey.
(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
The Big East tournament hits Madison Square Garden this weekend.
Need extra hints for today’s Strands puzzle? Here are clues and spoilers for puzzle #736.
Oil prices crossed $100 per barrel for the first time since 2022 as the war in Iran rages on with no signs of slowing down.
Many ding Texas for not being particularly fun or flashy, but they don't care. "Flashy doesn't win championships," Bryanna Preston said. "Discipline does."
We've seen this before from Fears.
Navy basketball was in the midst of its best season in decades and on track for its first NCAA tournament berth since 1998. Now those hopes are dashed with a heartbreaking loss in the Patriot League semifinals that didn't come without controversy.
The Bruins have won 25 games in a row, which is their longest win streak in program history.
Yahoo Sports NFL Draft expert Charles McDonald lays out his top 50 prospects of the 2026 NFL Draft. It includes Fernando Mendoza, the presumptive No. 1 overall pick, at No. 4. One other QB made the list — LSU's Garrett Nussmeier.
Despite the outcome, both Texas and South Carolina should still secure No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament.
The men's and women's para Alpine skiing Super-G race at the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milan Cortina is this Monday — here's how to tune in.
AI Description
Azerbaijan claims to have thwarted several sabotage plots by Iran's IRGC, targeting critical infrastructure and diplomatic entities. The plots included an attack on the BTC oil pipeline, which is vital for regional energy transit.