CNN faces a defamation lawsuit from Azerbaijan over a June report that claimed the Central Asian country permitted Israel to conduct attacks on Iran from its territory. The lawsuit, filed Monday, alleges the broadcaster's reporting was "blatant fake information" that endangered Azerbaijani citizens and risked drawing the nation into the conflict.
Azerbaijan has consistently denied allowing Israel to use its soil to launch attacks against Iran. The conflict between Iran and US and Israeli forces began in February, following airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear program and leadership.
The CNN report, published June 5 and titled "Exclusive: Israel sent troops to Azerbaijan during Iran war, sources say," stated that "elite military and intelligence units" were deployed to "several locations" in southern Azerbaijan, near the Iranian border. The report was attributed to CNN's Jerusalem bureau and a producer based in Spain.
Azerbaijani officials claim they repeatedly attempted to correct the story directly with CNN but their overtures were rejected. The country's media organization, Via Brown Rudnick, issued a statement asserting that CNN's report constituted "deliberate and gross information manipulation" and violated journalistic ethics and balance. They described the disinformation as a "political provocation" aimed at Azerbaijan and regional security.
An unnamed official accused CNN of acting as a "propaganda tool for hybrid warfare," potentially escalating tensions between Azerbaijan and Iran. Azerbaijan's lawsuit characterizes the report's claims as "demonstrably and knowingly false and recklessly exacerbate geopolitical tensions in an already volatile region."
According to the lawsuit, Azerbaijan's concerns about escalation are heightened by past threats from Iranian officials. In March, Ali Larijani, a senior Iranian regime official, warned that countries allowing their territory to be used against Iran would face consequences. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also issued a statement in July threatening repercussions for nations hosting aggressor forces.
The lawsuit contends that CNN's report was "precisely calibrated to draw Azerbaijan into a regional war" given Iran's prior threats. Azerbaijani officials reportedly engaged in an exchange of emails with CNN, vehemently denying the claims. The Azerbaijani ambassador to the U.S., Khazar Ibrahim, also formally denied the report's allegations in a letter to CNN on June 6.
As of this week, the CNN article remained online without amendments. A CNN spokesperson told the Daily Mail, "We stand by our reporting."
Azerbaijan, a former Soviet Republic, established diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992 and has since developed close ties, including oil trade and Israeli arms sales. Despite its proximity to Iran, Azerbaijan has experienced limited direct attacks from Iran, with only minor incidents reported in March. The lawsuit highlights that surrounding countries and Israel have faced more frequent attacks from Iran.
