Azerbaijan summoned Iran's ambassador after an Iranian drone crashed at Nakhchivan Airport, injuring civilians and prompting Baku to warn of possible retaliatory measures.
According to Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an unmanned aerial vehicle launched from Iranian territory fell on the grounds of the airport in the city of Nakhchivan, causing damage to an airport building.
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Officials confirmed that two civilians were injured during the incident. Azerbaijani news agencies Trend and APA earlier reported that the drone crash triggered a fire near the airport.
Two people injured in drone crashes in Azerbaijan have been hospitalized and are in stable condition, APA reports citing the hospital.
On March 5, several Iranian drones crashed in Azerbaijan: one near the Nakhchivan airport, one near a school, and several others crashed "in other locations," APA said.
According to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, one drone crashed onto the airport building, while another one crashed near a school in the village of Shekarabad. There building of the airport was damaged as a result.
The Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks and demanded an explanation from Iran "as soon as possible," stating that Azerbaijan "reserves the right to take appropriate retaliatory measures."
Following the incident, the Iranian ambassador in Baku was summoned to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry and will receive a formal diplomatic protest note.
"We demand that the Islamic Republic of Iran clarify this incident as soon as possible, provide explanations, and take the necessary urgent measures to prevent such cases from happening again in the future.”
Baku strongly condemned the attack, emphasizing that actions originating from Iranian territory had caused damage on Azerbaijani soil.
The Foreign Ministry stated that Azerbaijan reserves the right to take retaliatory measures in response to the incident.
The crash occurred amid escalating regional tensions after Iran began launching drones and missiles across parts of the Middle East following the start of military operations by the United States and Israel.
Azerbaijani authorities said they expect a prompt explanation from Tehran and warned that similar incidents in the future could trigger stronger responses.