Azeri authorities verify drone assault in Nakhchivan, declare proper to ‘appropriate response’.
Published On 5 Mar 2026
An Iranian drone assault has focused Azerbaijan’s autonomous Nakhchivan exclave, opening one more entrance in the continuing war launched by the United States and Israel and the retaliation from Tehran.
Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned in an announcement that the incident occurred at about 12 midday (08:00 GMT) on Thursday.
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“One drone struck the terminal building of the airport in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, while another drone fell near a school building in the village of Shakarabad,” the ministry mentioned.
“We strongly condemn these drone attacks launched from the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
It added that the assault injured two civilians and induced materials harm on the airport.
The ministry demanded “a clear explanation” from Iran and mentioned the nation “reserves the right to take appropriate response measures”.
It has summoned Iranian Ambassador Mojtaba Demirchilou over the incident.
Nakhchivan, bordering Iran and Turkiye, was a part of a historic US-brokered peace deal signed final yr between former lethal foes Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The land hall, dubbed the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP), gave the US improvement rights for the proposed route connecting Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave and making a passage between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Iran has long opposed the planned transit route, additionally recognized as the Zangezur hall, fearing it might minimize the nation off from Armenia and the remainder of the Caucasus whereas bringing probably hostile international forces near its borders.
Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar mentioned, “Iran has long been accusing the Azeri government of turning Azerbaijan into an Israeli spy base.”
“They are accusing [Azerbaijani President] Ilham Aliyev of undermining Iran’s security from its northern border,” Serdar added. “Iran said multiple times that if Azerbaijan did not stop, it would be punished.”
Serdar mentioned Thursday’s drone strikes had been sending a transparent message to the Azeri authorities. “Iran is engaging in a conflict with neighbouring countries,” he mentioned, including, “the Gulf, Turkiye and now Azerbaijan.”
Expanding war
The drone assaults in Nakhchivan come amid stories of extra Iranian drones targeting countries across the region, together with a US navy base close to Baghdad worldwide airport in Iraq.
Qatar’s Ministry of Defence mentioned its air defence programs intercepted a missile assault as a number of explosions had been heard in the skies above Doha.
The Saudi Ministry of Defence mentioned the most recent drone despatched into its territory was shot down close to the al-Jawf area, whereas Oman Oil Marketing Company mentioned certainly one of its storage tanks was broken.
Earlier, Turkiye’s Ministry of National Defence mentioned on Wednesday a ballistic missile fired from Iran towards Turkish airspace was destroyed by NATO air and missile defence programs over the japanese Mediterranean after passing Syria and Iraq.
Iran’s armed forces issued a statement on Thursday denying having fired any missiles in the direction of Turkish territory.
Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mentioned the nation was “taking all the necessary precautions” in session with its NATO allies and was issuing “warnings in the clearest terms to prevent similar incidents from happening again”.
In the meantime, the Israel-Hezbollah front in Lebanon has been reignited in one other chapter of war involving heavy Israeli bombardment and incursions into its northern neighbour.
