Azerbaijan accuses Iran of unprecedented drone strike on Nakhchivan airport

Azerbaijan on Thursday accused Iran of carrying out a drone strike on its Nakhchivan exclave, in what officials described as an unprecedented incident that could sharply escalate tensions between the two neighboring countries amid a deepening regional crisis.

According to Azerbaijani officials and local sources, three drones struck the area around Nakhchivan International Airport around noon local time. The attack damaged part of the airport terminal and injured two civilians.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said one drone crashed into the airport terminal building, while another fell near a school in the nearby village of Shekerabad. The ministry said the drones had been launched from Iranian territory.

“We strongly condemn these drone strikes,” the ministry said in a statement issued about an hour after the incident. “This attack on the territory of Azerbaijan contradicts the norms and principles of international law and contributes to the growth of tension in the region.”

The ministry demanded that Tehran urgently clarify the circumstances of the incident and take steps to prevent similar events in the future.

“The Azerbaijani side reserves the right to take appropriate retaliatory measures,” the statement said.

Iran’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Azerbaijan, Mojtaba Demirchilu, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Baku, where officials said a strong protest would be delivered and a formal diplomatic note handed over.

By Wednesday evening, Tehran had not issued any official statement regarding the incident.

The strike marks the first known drone attack on Azerbaijani territory attributed to Iran and threatens to further strain already fragile relations between the two countries.

Security analysts said the incident could lead to tighter controls along the nearly 700-kilometre Azerbaijani-Iranian border and disrupt trade and other cross-border activities.

Regional security experts say Baku may also strengthen its military presence along the frontier, including deploying additional air-defence systems and army units.

The attack follows years of mutual suspicion between the two neighbors. Iranian officials and lawmakers have repeatedly accused Azerbaijan of allowing Israeli intelligence to use its territory to monitor Iran.

Some Iranian military figures have previously warned that alleged Israeli facilities in Azerbaijan could become targets. Baku has consistently rejected those accusations, saying no such installations exist and describing the claims as unfounded.

Analysts say the latest incident risks drawing Azerbaijan closer to the widening confrontation surrounding Iran, raising fears that the South Caucasus could be pulled into a broader regional conflict.

Risk of further escalation

Regional analysts say the incident confirms long-standing concerns in Baku that the conflict surrounding Iran could spill over into neighboring states.

If Tehran does not acknowledge the incident or provide an explanation, the attack could become a serious turning point in bilateral relations, potentially triggering harsher border controls, the suspension of trade links and increased military readiness along the frontier.

Experts note that Azerbaijan is likely to reinforce its southern defenses, including deploying additional air-defence systems and military units near the border.

Whether the drone strike remains an isolated incident or becomes part of a broader escalation will largely depend on Tehran’s response and on the overall trajectory of the conflict involving Iran.

For now, analysts say, the unprecedented strike has created the most serious risk in decades of direct military tension between Baku and Tehran.