On 5 March, Iran launched a drone strike on Azerbaijan, targeting the international airport in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Local media report that a drone launched from Iranian territory hit the airport building and exploded.
#JUSTIN: One of the drones launched by #Iran hit one of the terminals at #Nakhchivan#Airport, while several other drones fell in different locations.
Several pro-government media outlets published identical text: “Despite the good-neighbourly relations that Azerbaijan has demonstrated towards Iran, the mullah regime has shown its true nature. Azerbaijan did not allow its territory to be used for military operations against Iran, yet it came under attack from Iran.”
Authorities evacuated schools in areas near the airport following the attack.
“Azerbaijan reserves the right to take appropriate response measures,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan said in a statement. Mojtaba Demirchilou has been summoned to the foreign ministry.
A day earlier, on 4 March, an Iranian ballistic missile was launched towards Turkey. According to Turkish Ministry of National Defence, the missile flew through Syria and Iraq before air defence and missile defence systems of NATO intercepted it in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea.
Fragments of the interceptor missile fell near Dörtyol in Hatay Province in south-eastern Turkey.
The episode marked the first direct involvement of Turkey — a NATO member and neighbour of Iran — in the expanding regional conflict.
Ankara said it reserves the right to respond in the event of hostile actions. It also called on all sides to avoid steps that could lead to further escalation.
The publication Middle East Eye released a commentary suggesting that Iran could target the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline, potentially starting from the territory of Azerbaijan.
