Azerbaijan and Iran Move to Stabilize Ties After Drone Incident

A ballistic missile launched from Iran and entering Turkish airspace was intercepted on Monday by NATO air and missile defense elements deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean, according to Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense, highlighting the growing risks of regional spillover from the escalating conflict involving Iran.

French President Emmanuel Macron called Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on March 8. During the conversation, Macron expressed solidarity with Azerbaijan following the Iranian aerial attack on the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and thanked Baku for assisting in the evacuation of French citizens from Iran through Azerbaijani territory.

Transit railway shipments of Russian grain to Armenia through Azerbaijan have resumed, underscoring the continuing role of Azerbaijani transport corridors in facilitating regional trade despite ongoing political tensions in the South Caucasus.

Iran’s Assembly of Experts on Sunday elected Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as the country’s new rahbar, placing him at the helm of the Islamic Republic at a time of war, internal strain and mounting regional tensions.