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Zazdusht Aleizada, who met The Times in the newspaper offices he runs, said the spy networks were an “open secret” in Baku. “We all know that they are here. The only secret is how much money they paid the Azerbaijani Government in bribes.”

“There is a natural relationship between Azerbaijan and Iran. Azerbaijan is a gateway to Iran,” said Kamil Salimov, a law professor at Baku University with former ties to the Government.

About 16% of Iranians are native Azeris and enjoy visa-free travel between the two countries.

But according to the report, tensions between Tehran and Baku are on the rise, as the state-run Azerbaijani news service are increasingly reporting the mistreatment of Azeris in Iran.