Iran Rejects Claims of Attacking Azerbaijan, While Baku Warns the Strikes Will Be Answered

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry stated that it called in Iran’s envoy in Baku to lodge a strong protest regarding the attack.

Iran’s military denied carrying out a drone attack on Azerbaijan on Thursday, while Baku said at least two Iranian drones struck the country, injuring two people.

According to state TV, the general staff of the armed forces said in a statement, “The Islamic Republic of Iran… denies that its armed forces launched a drone towards the Republic of Azerbaijan” and also blamed Israel for the attack.

“Such actions of the Zionist regime, aimed at damaging relations between Muslim countries through various means, are nothing new.”

Azerbaijan said it was preparing to retaliate after two people were injured in Iranian drone strikes near the airport and a school on Thursday.

A Foreign Ministry statement said the afternoon attacks involved at least two drones that entered Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan region from Iran, which borders Iran and is separated from mainland Azerbaijan by Armenia.

The ministry said, “One drone struck the terminal building of Nakhichevan Airport, while the other struck a school building in the village of Shakhtarabad.” The aircraft also injured two civilians and damaged the airport.

The Defense Ministry in Baku said it was “preparing necessary retaliatory measures to protect the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and ensure the safety of civilians and civilian infrastructure.”

He said, “These acts of aggression will not go unanswered.”

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the Iranian ambassador in Baku and expressed “strong protest” over the attack, which “contravenes the norms and principles of international law and contributes to escalating tensions in the region.”

It added, “Azerbaijan reserves the right to retaliate.”

Iran has long expressed concern that Israel—a close ally of Azerbaijan and a major arms supplier—could use Azerbaijani territory to launch attacks.

Last June, Azerbaijan assured Iran that it would not allow its territory to be used for attacks against Tehran after Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iranian targets.

Tehran has already been wary of separatist sentiment among its ethnic Azerbaijani minority, which accounts for approximately 10 million of Iran’s 83 million citizens.