Countries and international organisations have widely condemned Iran’s drone attack on civilian infrastructure in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on 5 March, expressing solidarity with Baku and denouncing the aggression. Three drones hit the area at the airport and near a school.
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait condemned the strikes as violations of sovereignty. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry described the UAV attacks as “acts of hostility” threatening regional stability.
Saudi Arabia described the attacks as reflecting “an unjustifiable hostile stance” and expressed full solidarity with Türkiye and Azerbaijan, emphasising their right to protect security, airspace, and citizens.
Kuwait highlighted the strikes as “clear violations of international law and the UN Charter,” reaffirming support for both countries.
European countries spoke out through social media and official statements with Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys affirming solidarity with Azerbaijan.
Montenegro’s Foreign Ministry wrote on X, “Montenegro strongly condemns the attack by Iran on the Nakhchivan region of Azerbaijan… We stress the urgent need to reduce tensions and return to dialogue.”
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on X: “France strongly condemns the attack carried out by Iranian drones this morning on Nakhchivan International Airport in Azerbaijan.”
Sophie Lagut, France’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan, also condemned the drone strike on Nakhchivan.
Regional partners including Türkiye, Jordan, and Kazakhstan reiterated support for Azerbaijan. Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry condemned the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) strikes and urged an end to actions that escalate conflict.
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called the attacks acts against “Azerbaijan as a brother and ally.” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha framed the strikes as proof of Iran’s role as a regional and global threat.
Armenia engaged in direct dialogue with Azerbaijan, Foreign Ministers Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov discussed the attacks and stressed maintaining stability and sustainable peace.
Pakistan voiced concern via X, with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the serious concern over the recent strikes and called for restraint to prevent further escalation.
International organisations such as the International Civil Defence Organization (ICDO) expressed full solidarity with Azerbaijan, emphasising civilian protection as a top priority.
Officials from Uzbekistan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Israel also contacted Azerbaijan to express solidarity, reflecting broad international consensus condemning Iran’s aggression and supporting Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and civilian protection.
The attacks occurred amid heightened regional tensions during the ongoing Middle East conflict between U.S., Israel and Iran which began last weekend.
Iranian forces launched UAVs from their territory targeting Nakhchivan International Airport and other civilian infrastructure, according to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence.
Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the U.S., Khazar Ibrahim, told Axios that Baku is taking “appropriate defensive and precautionary measures” following the strike. He said Azerbaijan and the United States remain in close contact over the incident and stressed that the response is based on “calculating facts” rather than reacting out of concern.
The ambassador said it was “not about worrying” about another attack, adding, “We are calculating, we are looking at facts, and we are making decisions.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisted that Tehran was not behind the drone attack.
In an earlier interview with AnewZ, just as the strikes happened, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, while not aware of the incident, said “We do not target our neighbouring countries.”
Four people were injured during the airport strike, including three staff members and one passenger who were taken to hospital for treatment.
President Ilham Aliyev blamed Iran for the attacks, describing them as “a terrorist act.”
“The targets of the attack were civilian facilities. The state of Azerbaijan vehemently condemns this ugly act of terror, and those who committed it must be immediately held accountable,” he said.
International lawyer Javid Rahimli told AnewZ that the strike could constitute a violation of international law.
“Under the principles of the United Nations Charter and customary international law, states must respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of other states. Any unauthorised use of force across borders, especially a kinetic drone strike, generally breaches this rule,” he said.
He added that Iran has previously justified military actions in neighbouring Gulf states by citing the presence of U.S. military bases there, but such reasoning does not apply to Azerbaijan.
“Given that there is no foreign military base in Azerbaijan, even Iran’s own assessment would not be applicable in this case. Therefore, it is unlawful,” Rahimli said.
The lawyer also pointed to the possibility that the strike could meet the legal threshold of an armed attack.
“In the strike, we can observe destruction of the airport and civilian casualties. There were four injured civilians. Therefore, it can also arguably be qualified as an armed attack,” he said.
Tehran has sent a senior delegation to Qatar for indirect talks on a possible peace deal with Washington amid rising tensions following a U.S. air str...
As climate pressures and urbanisation accelerate worldwide, governments are increasingly investing in smart cities and villages to build more sustaina...
Four people, including two schoolchildren, have died after a train collided with a school minivan at a level crossing in the northern Belgian town of ...
Japan and the United Nations Development Programme are launching a $3 million environmental project in Kazakhstan to support the Caspian Sea and impro...
Afghanistan has received a new $31.34 million disaster preparedness package and 320 tonnes of food aid from Uzbekistan ahead of Eid al-Adha....
Shortly after nine o’clock on Tuesday morning (26 May), a sleek white train eased into Tbilisi’s central railway station, a couple of minutes behind schedule, carrying passengers from Baku for the first time since 2020.
Passenger rail services between Baku and Tbilisi are expected to resume in 2026, after being suspended in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and regional border restrictions.
The 13th edition of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku showed Azerbaijan’s “meaningful contribution to multilateralism,” the country’s President Ilham Aliyev has said.
The nomination of Russian-Armenian businessman Ruben Vardanyan for the 2026 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize has triggered criticism.
A peace agreement between Washington and Tehran is yet to materialise, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying that negotiations are incomplete and an Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman saying that a deal isn't imminent.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 25th May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The World Health Organization warned on Monday that the fast-moving Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda was outpacing response efforts, with 220 suspected deaths reported so far.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 26 May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Shortly after nine o’clock on Tuesday morning (26 May), a sleek white train eased into Tbilisi’s central railway station, a couple of minutes behind schedule, carrying passengers from Baku for the first time since 2020.
Tehran has sent a senior delegation to Qatar for indirect talks on a possible peace deal with Washington amid rising tensions following a U.S. air strike on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz.
Japan and the United Nations Development Programme are launching a $3 million environmental project in Kazakhstan to support the Caspian Sea and improve water monitoring, amid growing concern over falling sea levels and risks to regional trade routes.
Afghanistan has received a new $31.34 million disaster preparedness package and 320 tonnes of food aid from Uzbekistan ahead of Eid al-Adha.
A Palestinian shepherd says her family’s Eid al-Adha preparations were destroyed after dozens of sheep were allegedly stolen in a pre-dawn raid in the West Bank, leaving her without both a religious sacrifice and her family’s main source of income.
Armenia’s upcoming elections are emerging as a defining geopolitical test, amid growing debate over the country’s future direction between Russia and the West, rising regional pressure, energy dependence concerns and shifting security alliances.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment