Well, what do you know?
According to a new article in Foreign Policy, Israel has, through a longtime but recently deepened relationship with Azerbaijan, gained access to airfields in a country bordering Iran, which it could use to make more feasible its attack on Iran.
While Azerbaijan says Israel can't use bases to attack Iran, the possibility of Israeli planes landing in Azerbaijan after an attack is raised.
Fancy that. Maybe aerial refueling capabilities aren't the limiting factor.
UPDATE: Azerbaijan denies they'd have a role in launching a strike:
A senior official at Azerbaijan's presidential administration said such speculation was "aimed at damaging relations between Azerbaijan and Iran".
"We have stated on numerous occasions and we reiterate that there will be no actions against Iran... from the territory of Azerbaijan," presidential official Ali Hasanov told journalists in Baku.
I would like to point out that the scenario I outlined is consistent with this denial. I only suggest that Israeli aircraft could land at Azerbaijan air fields after a flight direct from Israel to their targets in Iran, thus reducing Israeli aerial refueling needs--not that an attack would take place from Azerbijan territory.
UPDATE: Here's the article that started this off. I find it disheartening that our intelligence people are not happy with what Israel is doing, rather than putting the blame squarely on nutball Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions.
