Latest news in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, summary. Live

● 192 people were evacuated from Iran to Azerbaijan by land between 8:00 a.m. on February 28 and 10:00 p.m. on March 1. Of them, 82 are Azerbaijani citizens, while the rest are citizens of 19 foreign countries. Since the start of the U.S. and Israeli military operation in Iran on February 28, most countries in the region have closed their airspace.

● The Ambassador of Jordan to Iran thanked Azerbaijan for assisting in the evacuation of the Jordanian diplomatic delegation from Iran.

● The Russian Embassy expressed gratitude for assistance in evacuating Russian citizens from Iran. According to the statement, about 500 Russians are already on the lists to leave via Azerbaijan.

● During the escalation in the Middle East, one Azerbaijani citizen was injured. He is receiving assistance, and his condition is described as stable, the Foreign Ministry press service reported.

● President Ilham Aliyev sent a letter of condolences to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian over the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “We wish the friendly and brotherly Iranian people peace, stability, and prosperity,” the letter said. Khamenei was killed the day before along with members of his family as a result of U.S. and Israeli missile strikes.

● Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov held phone talks with the foreign ministers of Canada, Spain, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. Deep concern was expressed over the military escalation in the region. The importance of intensifying diplomatic efforts to restore negotiations and the need to protect civilians and infrastructure were emphasized. The possibility of using Azerbaijan’s land border, if necessary, for evacuating Canadian and Spanish citizens from Iran was also discussed, as was done during last June’s military escalation.

● Jeyhun Bayramov also spoke by phone with Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and conveyed condolences over the deaths of Ali Khamenei and civilians. It was emphasized that Azerbaijan’s territory cannot be used by any country against neighboring friendly Iran.

● Meydan TV journalist Nurlan Libre (Gahramanli), who is in pretrial detention, sent a letter to the Prosecutor General describing harsh detention conditions and pressure allegedly exerted on him. Libre has been on a hunger strike for nearly 40 days in protest and claims he was placed in solitary confinement for refusing to end it. “I was not taken to a medical center despite my requests. There are no sanitary conditions in the cell. I have been deprived of phone calls and visits,” the journalist said. Nurlan Libre was arrested in February 2025 in a criminal case against Meydan TV, under which 12 journalists are currently in custody. They are charged with smuggling by prior conspiracy and other serious offenses. The journalists deny the charges and say they are being punished for their critical reporting about the authorities.

Baku, on the shore of the Caspian Sea. Photo by  Nurlan Isazade

● A Security Council meeting was held in connection with the U.S. and Israeli military operation in Iran, chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and attended by President Vahagn Khachaturyan, Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan, and other officials. Participants expressed condolences over the casualties and stressed the need for a swift establishment of peace.

● The Foreign Ministry is working on the possible evacuation of Armenian citizens from Iran by air to Armenia via Oman. It was stated that, where possible, support will also be provided for transportation from the UAE to Muscat to organize flights.

● Amid the military escalation in the Middle East, the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs has opened a hotline to provide necessary assistance to compatriots in the region. Hotline numbers: 077 998123, 010 589155.

● The opposition criticized videos posted on social media showing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan eating pastries on a bus. “At a moment of the largest global crisis, such leadership is dangerous for Armenia. More than ever, Armenia needs a new prime minister,” said Narek Karapetyan, a member of the council of the “Strong Armenia” party. The pastry video, as well as another showing corn, was filmed as part of an internal party pre-election campaign. Pashinyan, together with the parliament speaker, ministers, and MPs, has begun trips to various regions of the country. Armenia’s opposition largely has a reputation for being pro-Russian.

● Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Ruben Rubinyan responded to the criticism, saying: “It is hard to imagine better publicity than the fact that our country is not at war but eating pastries. During World War I we did not eat pies — we fought; during World War II and in the 1990s as well. Now we can finally eat pies because we are establishing peace,” Rubinyan explained.

●  Iran expert Emma Begijanyan said that “weakening Iran is a major threat for Armenia, since the strategic interests of the two countries largely coincide.” “Azerbaijan and Turkey have territorial claims against both Iran and Armenia. During the 44-day war (the second Karabakh war in autumn 2020 — JAMnews), Iran limited itself to statements, whereas it should have provided more practical support to Nagorno-Karabakh. Possibly, cooperation with Armenia should have gone beyond diplomatic formalities. Nevertheless, the essence remains the same: a threat to Iran is also a threat to Armenia,” Begijanyan said in an interview with Hraparak.

● In Yerevan, people commemorated fellow citizens killed during the dispersal of protests against the presidential election results on the night of March 1–2, 2008. Firearms were used; 10 people were killed — two police officers and eight civilians — and hundreds were injured.

● Armenian citizens will be able to enter Russia only with passports, including diplomatic ones; other documents will no longer be accepted, TASS reports.

● The Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing deep concern over the situation in the Middle East and emphasized the “importance of diplomatic efforts to de-escalate and ensure stability in the region.”

● Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze held a phone call with the President of the United Arab Emirates, expressing solidarity and hope for lasting peace. Kobakhidze wrote on social media that Tbilisi highly values the “special friendly relations between Georgia and the UAE.”

● More than 20 flights to Middle Eastern destinations — including Tel Aviv, Sharjah, Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, and Kuwait City — were canceled from the international airports of Tbilisi and Batumi.

● A rally took place near the Embassy of Iran in Tbilisi. Participants carried Iranian and U.S. flags and celebrated the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran (pictured). “We are happy — thank you Trump, thank you Benjamin Netanyahu,” they said.

● Amendments to the law “On Labor Migration” have come into force, significantly restricting employment opportunities for foreigners in Georgia. They must now obtain special permits from the state employment agency. Work authorization may be issued for a specific position and employer for up to one year. Violations will result in fines for both workers and employers, including financial penalties for self-employed foreigners.

● According to the Interior Ministry, a tourism company director was detained in Batumi on charges of large-scale fraud. He allegedly misappropriated 218,427 lari (about $82,000) paid by citizens for overseas tours that never took place. He faces up to 9 years in prison.

● Heavy rains caused landslides in Tbilisi districts of Vake, Saburtalo, Gldani, and Isani. Several trees fell.

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 23-27 February, 2026