As I understand it, Azorian was just a cover story for the exploration and exploitation of certain technology artifacts which were deemed non-human in nature [0]. The Soviets knew exactly where their sub was but the CIA didn’t, so when Hughes found the artifacts while doing actual subsea prospecting they made up the Soviet sub story to get funding and cover. That Harvard professor [1] is using parallel construction to allow the artifacts to be revealed eventually without tipping everyone off the US has had the material for 50 years.
In 1975, the CIA used Howard Hughes's Glomar Explorer in a bungled attempt to raise a sunken Soviet submarine in order to access the "Gravedust" unit, an occult device that allows communication with the dead. Now a ruthless billionaire intends to try again, even if by doing so he awakens the Great Old Ones, who thwarted the earlier expedition. . . .
1. https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/avi-loeb-harvard-profess...