Tehran/Baku – Iran on Thursday categorically rejected accusations from neighboring Azerbaijan that it had launched drone strikes targeting its territory, while suggesting that Israel may be behind the attacks as part of a “false flag” operation.
The General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces stated that Iranian forces had not launched any drones toward Azerbaijan, emphasizing that Tehran respects the sovereignty of all nations, particularly neighboring and Muslim countries, according to the official news agency IRNA.
‘Israel Seeking to Sow Discord’
The Iranian military statement asserted that Israel has a documented history of carrying out such operations to sow discord among Muslim nations. Investigations, Iran claimed, indicated the strikes were carried out by Israel specifically to frame Tehran.
The accusation comes amid the widening regional war triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began Saturday, which have already drawn in multiple fronts across the Middle East.
Azerbaijan’s Accusation
Earlier Thursday, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry accused Iran of launching drone attacks on the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic from Iranian territory.
According to the ministry, the strikes occurred around midday and hit the terminal building of Nakhchivan International Airport, injuring two civilians and causing structural damage. Another drone reportedly fell near a school in the village of Shakarabad.
Azerbaijan strongly condemned the attacks as “in violation of the norms and principles of international law,” warning that such actions could escalate regional tensions. The ministry also summoned the Iranian envoy in Baku to lodge a “strong protest.”
Retaliation Threatened
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry stated it was “preparing the necessary retaliatory measures,” adding emphatically that the attacks “will not go unanswered.”
Regional Context
The incident dramatically expands the geographic scope of the current conflict. Since Saturday, Israel and the United States have launched joint strikes on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and triggering waves of Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting Israeli and US assets across the Middle East.
Azerbaijan, a Turkic-speaking Shia-majority nation, shares a border with Iran and has maintained complex relations with both Tehran and Israel. The accusation threatens to open yet another front in the rapidly spiraling regional war.
