Nakhchivan drone attack not linked to Iran, will be investigated, Tehran tells Baku

ISTANBUL

The recent drone attack on Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave was not linked to Iran, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Sunday, according to the Azerbaijani presidency.

“Pezeshkian emphasized that the incident would be investigated,” said an Azerbaijani presidency statement issued following a phone call between the two leaders.

The Azerbaijani president, for his part, also underlined the importance of investigating the incident that occurred in Nakhchivan.

During the call, Pezeshkian thanked Aliyev for visiting the Iranian Embassy in Baku to offer condolences over the death of Iran’s supreme leader and civilians, and for Azerbaijan’s intention to provide humanitarian aid, the statement said.

There was no immediate statement from the Iranian side on the phone call.

On Thursday, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said the Nakhchivan exclave was hit by drones launched from Iranian territory, with one striking the terminal building of Nakhchivan International Airport, while another fell near a school building in the village of Shakarabad.

Israel and the US have continued their large-scale offensive on Iran since Feb. 28, reportedly killing over 1,200 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top military officials.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as many countries, including those that host US military assets.