On June 5, Aykhan Hajizade, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, categorically rejected allegations published on the CNN World website claiming that Azerbaijani territory had been used for military or intelligence operations against Iran, and that Israeli forces were allegedly deployed in Azerbaijan.

Hajizade stated that these claims were "entirely baseless" and emphasized that Azerbaijan had already provided its official position to CNN prior to the publication of the article. He underlined that the accusations, based on anonymous sources and lacking verifiable evidence, contradict journalistic principles of objectivity and professionalism. "As has been stated on numerous occasions, allegations that Azerbaijan's territory has been used by any third country for military operations, intelligence activities, or other hostile purposes against another state are completely unfounded. Azerbaijan has never allowed, and will never allow, its territory to be used for such purposes," he said.

He further stressed that Azerbaijan remains committed to regional peace, stability, and good-neighborly relations, describing the report as an attempt at disinformation. Hajizade also urged CNN to issue a correction or retraction, stating: "We expect CNN to refute this article containing unfounded allegations."

On the same day, the Milli Majlis Commission against Foreign Interference and Hybrid Threats issued a separate statement regarding what it described as a "deliberate information provocation" by CNN. The Commission stated that the article titled "Israel sent troops to Azerbaijan during Iran war as part of secret network across region" relied on anonymous sources and formed part of a broader disinformation effort aimed at undermining Azerbaijan’s national interests and international standing.

The Commission further argued that the publication triggered a rapid spread of what it called an "anti-Azerbaijan narrative" across global media and social platforms, including X, Facebook, Telegram, and Threads, describing it as part of a coordinated amplification campaign. It also criticized the sourcing of the article, pointing to references to individuals it characterized as consistently holding anti-Azerbaijan positions.

The statement reiterated that Azerbaijan does not host any foreign military forces or bases, and that its territory is not used for hostile actions against third countries. The Commission called on CNN either to publicly clarify the allegations or to provide verifiable evidence, warning that failure to do so would, in its view, reinforce concerns about the dissemination of disinformation and hybrid information threats.