According to Reuters, on March 5 local time, Azerbaijan stated that it was attacked by two Iranian drones, which resulted in four people being injured. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense issued a statement saying that it would retaliate against the attack, "it will not go unpunished," while Iran denied launching drones towards Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry stated in its statement that on that day, Iran launched drones that attacked the airport and other civilian infrastructure in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. The technical parameters of the drones and details of the attack are under investigation.
It is reported that one drone hit the terminal building of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic airport, causing damage to the airport building; another drone fell near a school in the autonomous republic.
The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is an exclave of Azerbaijan, bordering Armenia, Turkey, and Iran.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry strongly condemned Iran, stating, "Iran is fully responsible for this incident. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry is preparing necessary retaliatory measures, and such acts of aggression will not go unpunished."
Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Airport was attacked. Screenshot from social media video
Reuters said that due to the continuously strengthening economic, energy, and military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel, relations between the two countries have already been tense. The recent escalation of regional tensions may trigger violent conflicts between these two neighboring countries.
On the same day, Azerbaijani President Aliyev called a meeting of the Security Council and classified the incident as a "terrorist attack." Aliyev stated that he had ordered the Azerbaijani armed forces to develop and implement retaliatory measures.
Aliyev said that the Iranian authorities must explain to Azerbaijan and must apologize.
On the same day, the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces issued a statement denying that Iran had launched drones towards Azerbaijan. The statement emphasized that Iran respects all countries and accused Israel of trying to frame Iran in this way.
In an interview with Azerbaijani media, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi stated that Iran did not target Azerbaijan, "we will not attack neighboring countries, and Iran's policy is to strike only the military bases of its enemies."
This article is an exclusive article from the Observer, and it cannot be reprinted without authorization.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7613770424412881444/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.