Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has denied allegations that Iran was responsible for the drone strike that hit the autonomous exclave of Nakhchivan, leaving two civilians injured.
In an official statement, Gharibabadi said Iran did not target Azerbaijan and stressed that Tehran does not attack neighboring countries. He added that the incident in Nakhchivan should be properly investigated to determine who carried out the strike.
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The deputy foreign minister further stated that Iran’s military operations are directed only at enemy military bases in the region, particularly those linked to the United States and Israel۔
Iranian authorities have previously accused Azerbaijan of allowing foreign intelligence and military activities near its borders, which Tehran considers a security concern.
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Iran's deputy FM denied targeting Azerbaijan, saying Tehran does not strike neighboring countries, only states hosting enemy military bases.
He said the Nakhchivan incident "must be investigated."
Who did this?pic.twitter.com/CxUk6wyL7e https://t.co/Hcg7kA337v
Earlier, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev demanded an apology from Iran following the drone attack on Nakhchivan that injured two civilians.
The incident took place on Thursday and has further increased tensions in the region amid the broader geopolitical conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
President Aliyev said the attack must not remain unanswered and stressed that those responsible should be identified and held accountable.
Azerbaijan Condemns the Strike
According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, the drone attack happened around 12:00 noon local time.
Officials said one drone struck the terminal building at Nakhchivan Airport, while another drone crashed near a school building in the village of Shakarabad.
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The ministry strongly condemned the attack and said the drones were launched from Iranian territory. Authorities reported two civilians injured and damage to airport infrastructure.
Azerbaijan has also summoned Mojtaba Demirchilou to provide an explanation for the incident.
The government said it reserves the right to take appropriate response measures if necessary.
Turkiye Supports Azerbaijan
Turkiye, a close ally of Azerbaijan, also condemned the attack.
In an official statement, Turkiye warned against expanding the conflict to other countries in the region. The statement said Ankara would continue to support Azerbaijan as it has done in the past.
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Turkish officials also stressed the need to avoid attacks that could spread the war to third countries.
Regional Tensions and Strategic Corridor
The attack comes at a sensitive time in the South Caucasus region. Nakhchivan is part of Azerbaijan but separated from the rest of the country by Armenia.
The latest drone attack also comes as the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran continues to intensify across the Middle East, raising concerns that the crisis could spread into neighbouring regions including the Caucasus.
