Azerbaijan summoned Iran’s ambassador earlier today, after drones launched from Iranian territory struck the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, injuring two civilians and damaging infrastructure.
According to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the attacks occurred around midday on March 5 when at least two drones crossed from Iran into Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani exclave bordering Iran and separated from mainland Azerbaijan by Armenia.
One drone hit the terminal building of Nakhchivan International Airport, while another fell near a school in the nearby village of Shakarabad. Two civilians were wounded and the airport building sustained damage, officials said.
In response, Azerbaijan summoned Iran’s ambassador to lodge what it described as a “strong protest,” calling the strikes a violation of international law and warning that Azerbaijan reserves the right to take retaliatory measures.
“We strongly condemn these drone attacks launched from the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that the incident “contradicts the norms and principles of international law and contributes to rising tensions in the region.”
Local authorities said schools near the airport were evacuated as a precaution following the strikes, while emergency crews responded to damage at the airport terminal.
The incident threatens to further escalate regional tensions tied to the wider conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States, which has already triggered cross-border attacks and drone strikes across multiple countries in the Middle East and surrounding regions.
The South Caucasus has long been a sensitive arena for Iranian security concerns. Iran has previously expressed concern that Israel, a close defense partner and major arms supplier to Azerbaijan, could potentially use Azerbaijani territory for operations against Iran.
Last year, Azerbaijan sought to reassure Iran that its territory would not be used to launch attacks against Iran after Israel conducted large-scale strikes on Iranian targets.
Iran is also wary of separatist sentiment among its large ethnic Azerbaijani minority population, estimated at around 10 million people, which has historically complicated relations between Tehran and Baku.
There was no immediate public comment from Iranian authorities regarding the drone strikes.
관련 콘텐츠: Counter-UAS defenses engage drones across the Middle East as conflict escalates
Post Image – Footage captures an Iranian drone striking an airport in Azerbaijan (Post Image Credit: NBC News).
