Armed attack on Azerbaijani embassy in Iran. Who is behind the attack? VIDEO
Attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Iran
On January 27 at about 8:30 am Baku time, an armed attack was carried out on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran. The head of the security service of the Azerbaijani embassy in Iran, Orkhan Askerov, was killed and two more were injured while repelling the attacker.
“Two embassy security guards were injured while repulsing the attack. Their condition is stable. This crime is currently being investigated. The public will be provided with additional information,” the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said immediately afterward.
- Azerbaijan vs. Armenia in international court
- More than 250 military casualties over the past year in Armenia, mostly in hostilities
- “I was subjected to political pressure in the dispute with Credit Suisse” – Ivanishvili
Immediately after the incident, the Iranian media reported that the attacker was a local resident of Armenian ethnicity, but later this was denied by the head of the Tehran police, according to whom the attacker, Yasin Huseynzade, had personal motives.
This afternoon, Tehran Police Chief Huseyn Rahimi was fired from his post.
What are they saying in Azerbaijan?
The pro-government news site caliber.az writes that the Iranian special services are behind the terrorist act against the embassy.
“First, Iran tries to cover up its tracks and lie about an Armenian doing it, which is total disinformation meant to stir up the Azerbaijani public.”
The next version was that, allegedly, the Iranian Yasin Huseynzade came with two children to free his wife, who for some reason was being held at the embassy. This is also pure fiction and a cheap attempt to present the terrorist attack planned by the Iranian special services as a domestic matter.
Moreover, Tehran’s police chief is lying about the alleged criminal having been arrested by the Iranian police.
The purpose of the terrorist act was the execution of the employees in the building,” the publication claims.
Iranian Ambassador summoned to Foreign Ministry
Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Seyid Abbas Mousavi, has been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan in connection with the attack..
“Today’s terrorist act, the armed attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran, was strongly condemned at the meeting, the inadmissibility of such attacks on diplomatic missions was declared, Iran’s obligation to ensure the security of the diplomatic mission and its employees in accordance with the Vienna Convention was noted.
A demand was made to promptly bring the person who committed the terrorist act to justice, conduct a thorough investigation, and identify and punish other participants involved in organizing and committing the crime.
It was also emphasized that a systematic anti-Azerbaijani campaign has been carried out in Iran lately, which further aggravates already difficult relations,” the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in an official statement.
Iranian Ambassador Seyid Abbas Mousavi, expressed deep regret about and condemnation of the incident, as well as condolences to the family of the deceased embassy employee, the government and people of Azerbaijan. The ambassador also stressed that the relevant authorities of Iran immediately responded to the incident, law enforcement agencies are currently investigating it, detailed information will be made public after the investigation is completed, the Foreign Ministry added.
Reaction in the country
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev strongly condemned the attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran:
“I strongly condemn the terrorist attack committed today against our embassy in Tehran. I express my deep condolences to the family and relatives of Senior Lieutenant Askerov Orkhan Rizvan oglu, who died while providing security for the embassy and its employees.
We demand an investigation of this terrorist act and the speedy punishment of the terrorists. A terrorist attack on diplomatic missions is unacceptable!”
Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan
“We strongly condemn the treacherous terrorist attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Iran.
Iran, as the host country of the embassy, is obliged to ensure the security of the embassy and its employees, per the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Attempts to threaten our diplomatic mission in Iran have been made before, and Iran has raised questions about preventing such cases and taken measures to ensure our diplomatic missions. Unfortunately, the latest bloody attack demonstrates the dire consequences of not paying due attention to our insistent calls about this. We have come to the conclusion that the recent anti-Azerbaijani campaign in Iran provoked this attack on our diplomatic mission.
We demand from Iran that the perpetrators of the attack, and those planned it, be identified as soon as possible and punished in the most severe way. Azerbaijan will use all means to ensure that the perpetrators are identified and punished. We plan to take measures to evacuate embassy staff and their families,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Reaction from outside
Almost immediately after the attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran, the foreign ministries of Turkey and Russia issued a condemnation.
“We expect that all those responsible will be brought to justice,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The press secretary of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, published a video of the attack on the embassy on Telegram and noted the heroism of the guard who detained the attacker. “The embassy guard fought like a lion” Zakharova captioned the video.
Condolences to Azerbaijan have also been expressed by the United States, Israel, Georgia, and Ukraine.
Embassy in Tehran suspends operation
The head of the press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Aykhan Hajizade, said the Azerbaijani government plans to evacuate the embassy in Tehran in short order.
“We condemn this heinous attack in the strongest terms. We demand that the Iranian government take the necessary steps to identify the attacker. Each state is responsible for ensuring the security of embassies in its own country,” Hajizade said.
Five attacks in two years
Over the past two years there have been five attacks on Azerbaijani embassies, Jafar Huseynzade, head of the Azerbaijani delegation to NATO, said on his Twitter.
“Today there was an armed attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Iran. One security officer was killed and two were injured. Over the past two years, there have been five attacks on the diplomatic missions of Azerbaijan. We strongly condemn any attacks on diplomatic missions and call on Iran to comply with the Vienna Convention,” he said.
Victim and hero of the incident
The head of the security service, Orkhan Askerov, who died during the attack, is the son of a well-known doctor in Ganja, Rizvan Askerov.
Report informs, Rizvan Askerov works as the head of the pediatric department of the Z. Mammadov Hospital No. 1 at the Ganja City United Hospital.
The deceased was married and had two children.
Vasif Tagiyev, native of Shushi, was the man who physically stopped the attacker.
