AZE.US
Israel is now effectively engaged in military confrontations across several fronts in the Middle East following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, Azerbaijani political analyst Rizvan Huseynov said in comments on the Daily Europe Online channel.
According to Huseynov, the shock caused by the Oct. 7 attack – which resulted in the deaths of civilians in Israel – initially generated broad sympathy around the world. However, he argues that the subsequent escalation has expanded far beyond the original conflict.
“Oct. 7 shocked everyone. It was a tragedy and the killing of innocent people,” Huseynov said. “But the response that followed, in my view, went far beyond those events. Today Israel is effectively fighting on several fronts and against several countries in the region.”
Wider regional confrontation
Huseynov said the current tensions should not be viewed only through the prism of the Gaza conflict. Instead, he believes the crisis is part of a broader geopolitical struggle involving Iran, regional actors and global powers.
In his view, the conflict also reflects competing ideological and political visions shaping the Middle East.
“I see this as a confrontation between two ideological doctrines,” he said, referring to Iran’s revolutionary religious model on one side and what he described as an Israeli-U.S. political and strategic coalition on the other.
The analyst argued that military escalation risks strengthening hard-line forces within Iran and could deepen polarization across the region.
“History shows that wars often consolidate societies around their governments,” he said, adding that pressure from outside can sometimes produce the opposite of the intended political outcome.
Views within Azerbaijani society
Huseynov also addressed perceptions of the conflict in Azerbaijan, saying criticism of Israeli government policy does not necessarily reflect sympathy toward Iran.
“Azerbaijan has never been considered pro-Iranian,” he said. “Our relations with Iran have historically been complicated, and many Azerbaijanis view Iran critically.”
At the same time, he noted that some people in Azerbaijan question certain aspects of Israel’s military strategy in the region.
According to Huseynov, developments in Iran resonate strongly in Azerbaijan partly because millions of ethnic Azerbaijanis live there.
Civilian casualties and strikes in areas populated by Azerbaijanis can therefore generate emotional reactions among the public, he said.
Azerbaijan’s tradition of tolerance
Despite political debates over the conflict, Huseynov emphasized that Azerbaijan has historically maintained strong ties with Israel and a reputation for religious and ethnic tolerance.
“Azerbaijan has never had a tradition of antisemitism,” he said. “This is well known both in Israel and among Jewish communities.”
He added that disagreements over specific political decisions should not be interpreted as hostility toward the Israeli people.
Information warfare
Huseynov also warned about the growing role of information battles in modern conflicts.
“Today not only the war itself matters, but also how it is presented,” he said. “The information war and the narratives around events have become almost as important as the events themselves.”
According to the analyst, competing interpretations of the conflict have created a global информационное противостояние that often blurs the line between facts, political messaging and propaganda.