ISTANBUL

The Azerbaijani president on Thursday congratulated his Iranian counterpart on a US-brokered ceasefire reached two days ago, ending a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel.

“The Head of State (Ilham Aliyev) conveyed his congratulations to Masoud Pezeshkian on the cessation of the Iran-Israel conflict and the achievement of a ceasefire, and once again noted that peace and security in the region are essential conditions,” said a statement by Azerbaijan’s presidency following a phone conversation between the two leaders.

Aliyev once again conveyed Baku’s position concerning the conflict, as well as Azerbaijan’s concerns regarding the escalation in the region as a whole, expressing his condolences over the deaths of Iranian citizens, the statement said.

Pezeshkian expressed his gratitude to Aliyev for the condolences, it added.

The talks included an exchange of views on the prospects of bilateral ties, while the two heads of state recalled Pezeshkian's visit to Baku in late April, underlining the importance of continuing joint efforts to implement the deals reached, it also said.

Aliyev invited the Iranian president to the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization summit to be held in the Azerbaijani capital on July 3-4, the statement noted.

After 12 days of aerial combat between the two regional arch-foes, US President Donald Trump on Monday announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran to end their conflict.

Israel launched airstrikes on several sites across Iran on June 13, including military and nuclear facilities, alleging that Tehran was on the verge of producing a nuclear bomb, a claim vehemently denied by Iran.

While Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes, the US joined the conflict by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday.

The Iranian Health Ministry reported 627 deaths and at least 4,870 injuries in the Israeli attacks. In Israel, 29 people were killed and more than 3,400 others wounded in Iran's retaliatory attacks, according to Israel's Emergency Services.

On Tuesday, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry welcomed the ceasefire reached and commended all parties involved in its facilitation, defining the development as a “significant step toward de-escalation and the restoration of stability in the region.”

“We stand ready to support initiatives aimed at fostering lasting peace, security, and cooperation in the region,” the ministry statement said.