Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israel today of being behind drone attacks on Azerbaijan, which he said were aimed at damaging Tehran's bilateral relations with Baku, Agence France-Presse reported, BTA reported.
During a telephone conversation with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov, Araghchi "denied that Iran had launched drones against Azerbaijan" and condemned the role of the "Israeli regime in attacks aimed at diverting public attention and undermining good relations between Iran and its neighbors", reads a summary statement by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Earlier today, drones struck the autonomous Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhichevan, bordering the Islamic Republic, with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev condemning the "terrorist attack" by Iranian drones. The drones wounded 4 people in the exclave.
"We will not tolerate this unfounded act of terrorism and aggression against Azerbaijan. Our armed forces have been instructed to prepare and implement the necessary countermeasures. We are ready to show our strength against any hostile state. "Iran must not forget this," President Aliyev stressed.
Azerbaijan also announced that it was closing the airspace in the southern part of the country after four Iranian drones flew over the border. The airspace will remain closed for 12 hours, according to a notice issued by Azerbaijan to air crews.
For his part, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Garibabadi rejected claims that Tehran had attacked Nakhchivan.
"We do not attack our neighboring countries," Garibabadi emphasized to the Azerbaijani media outlet "Ainuez" (AnewZ).
A drone attack was carried out today against the international airport in Nakhchivan, the Azerbaijani news agency AZERTAC reported.
A drone that took off from Iranian territory exploded at the airport, and another drone exploded near a school in the village of Shakerabad, Babek district.
Azerbaijani authorities said they were investigating what type of drones were used in the attack.
Azerbaijan is a major producer of oil and natural gas, exporting these raw materials mainly to Turkey and Europe via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. Any damage to the country's energy infrastructure could further raise international energy prices, Reuters notes.
"We insist that Iran provide a clear explanation for the drone attacks in Nakhchivan that injured two people", the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, quoted by AZERTAC.
"These attacks on the territory of Azerbaijan constitute a violation of the norms and principles of international law and contribute to the escalation of tension in the region," the ministry said.