Iran Denies Involvement in Drone Attack on Azerbaijan, Pledges Investigation

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has firmly denied his country's involvement in a drone strike on Azerbaijan's territory and has pledged to investigate the incident. The statement was made during a phone call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Sunday, March 8.

According to a readout from the Azerbaijani side, Pezeshkian expressed gratitude for Aliyev's recent visit to the Iranian embassy in Baku to offer condolences. The condolences were related to the deaths of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and many civilians in Iran, as well as for Azerbaijan's intention to provide humanitarian aid to Tehran.

"Stating that the incident of the aerial attack on Nakhchivan has no connection to Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized that what happened will be investigated," the official statement noted.

In response, President Aliyev reiterated his condolences for the significant loss of civilian life during recent events in Iran.

The diplomatic exchange follows reports that drones launched from Iran crashed on the territory of an airport in the city of Nakhchivan. Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry stated that the airport building was damaged and several civilians were injured as a result.

Baku had previously demanded prompt explanations and an investigation from Tehran, along with measures to prevent similar incidents. The ministry emphasized that Azerbaijan reserves the right to take reciprocal actions. Earlier, Iran's Armed Forces General Staff denied that its military had launched any drone toward Azerbaijan.