An Iron Dome battery deployed in southern Israel. Photo: IDF via Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Israel has reached a deal to sell the Iron Dome missile defense system to Azerbaijan, just days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Central Asian country.

The Azerbaijani Press Agency reported Saturday that Azerbaijan Defense Industry Minister Yaver Jamalov had agreed to the deal with Israel. Netnayahu said during his cabinet meeting Sunday that both countries have “extensive ties.”

During Netanyahu’s meeting last week with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, the Central Asian leader revealed that his country has purchased nearly $5 billion in defense equipment from Israel.

Meanwhile, Israel also reached a deal with the Czech Republic for the eastern European nation to purchase MMR radars from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the same radar system used for the Iron Dome and David’s Sling anti-missile defense systems.

The Czech Republic will reportedly be purchasing eight radar systems for a total of $100 million to replace old Soviet-era radar systems, the Associated Press reported.

Czech defense minister Martin Stropnicky said that the radars will be used for air defense. Many eastern European countries who suffered under communist Soviet rule for decades have grown increasingly nervous of Russian actions in the Ukraine.