Azerbaijani oil imports to Israel rise 31% — Jerusalem Post
In 2025, Israel increased imports of Azerbaijani oil by 31% — to approximately 94,000 barrels per day. This gave Azerbaijan a 46.4% share of all Israeli oil imports, according to Jerusalem Post's weekly review of Arab press materials. Russia was the second-largest supplier, with a share of about 28%.
Route through Turkey
The oil is transported via the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline to Turkey's Mediterranean coast, after which it is delivered by tankers to Ashkelon in Israel. Asharq al-Awsat columnist Huda al-Husseini believes that the route bypassing the Strait of Hormuz prevents Iran from directly obstructing supplies through its influence in the strait.
At the same time, dependence on a single supplier creates a vulnerability for Israel, as Azerbaijan accounts for nearly half of its oil imports. The crude also passes through Turkey, which has maintained a trade embargo against Israel since 2024. Ankara does not officially specify the final destination of oil loaded in Ceyhan, but the route depends on the political situation.
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Cooperation without a formal alliance
Diplomatic relations between Israel and Azerbaijan have continued since 1992. Azerbaijan opened a trade representation in Tel Aviv in 2021 and an embassy in 2023. In February 2026, the sides signed a memorandum on cooperation in artificial intelligence, providing for supercomputer infrastructure and joint research.
There is no formal defense treaty between the countries: their interaction consists of separate agreements in trade, energy, weapons and intelligence. According to the review, Israel accounted for 69% of Azerbaijan's imports of major types of weapons in 2016–2020. Israel supplied, among other things, reconnaissance drones, loitering munitions, LORA missiles and Barak air defense systems.
The author also stresses that reports of a possible presence of Israeli special forces or intelligence officers in southern Azerbaijan near the Iranian border remain unconfirmed. Baku called such claims unfounded, while Israel did not comment on them.
