Azerbaijan summons Iranian envoy after drone strikes injure civilians

Azerbaijan on Thursday summoned the Iranian envoy after two people were wounded in drone strikes on Nakhichevan, its exclave bordering Iran and separated from mainland Azerbaijan by Armenia.

The attacks involved at least two drones that crossed from Iran, with one hitting the terminal building of Nakhichevan Airport and another falling near a school in the village of Shekerabad, causing damage and injuring two civilians.

In a statement, Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry condemned the attacks, saying they “contradict the norms and principles of international law and contribute to rising tensions in the region.”

“The ministry summoned the Iranian envoy in Baku to register a “strong protest” and warned that Azerbaijan “reserves the right to take appropriate retaliatory measures.”

Iran has previously expressed concerns that Israel — a close ally of Azerbaijan and a major arms supplier — could use Azerbaijani territory to stage attacks.

In June last year, Azerbaijan assured Tehran that its territory would not be used against Iran following an Israeli strike on Iranian targets.

Tehran has also been cautious over separatist sentiment among its ethnic Azerbaijani minority, which numbers around 10 million out of Iran’s 83 million population.
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