EditAzerbaijan says four injured by Iranian drones, vows retaliation
The incident underscores long-standing tensions, which have been strained by Azerbaijan’s growing economic, energy and military partnerships with Israel
Azerbaijan was preparing unspecified retaliatory measures on Thursday after four Iranian drones crossed its border and injured four people in the Nakhchivan exclave, heightening fears of spillover from the escalating conflict involving Iran.
President Ilham Aliyev told a Security Council meeting: “We will not tolerate this unprovoked act of terror and aggression against Azerbaijan. Our Armed Forces have been instructed to prepare and implement appropriate retaliatory measures.”
He added: “We are ready to demonstrate our strength against any hostile force — and they should not forget this in Iran.”
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi denied any involvement. “We do not attack our neighbouring countries,” he told Azerbaijani outlet AnewZ.
Azerbaijani authorities said they were investigating the drone types. One struck the terminal building at Nakhchivan International Airport, about 10 km from the Iranian border. Another landed near a school in a nearby village. One was shot down by Azerbaijani forces, and another hit civilian infrastructure.
#Iran carried out a drone strike on #Azerbaijan – targeting the international airport in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Local media report that the drone, launched from Iranian territory, hit the airport building and exploded. Several pro-government media outlets are… pic.twitter.com/uQL1TUn2Jv
— JAMnews (@JAMnewsCaucasus) March 5, 2026
The four injured were hospitalized in stable condition, the local Health Ministry said. Verified video footage showed black smoke rising near the airport and damage to the terminal skylight.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry demanded that Iran “clarify the matter in the shortest possible time, provide an explanation and take the necessary urgent measures to prevent such incidents from recurring,” and handed a formal note of protest to the Iranian ambassador.
The country is a major oil and gas producer, exporting primarily to Turkey and Europe via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. Damage to energy infrastructure could further spike global prices.
Iranian missile downed in Turkey: speculation mounts over target on vital oil pipeline
Tense ties between Tehran and Baku — fuelled by close Baku-Israel partnership
The incident underscores long-standing tensions between Tehran and Baku, which have been strained by Azerbaijan’s growing economic, energy and military partnerships with NATO member Turkey – and especially its deepening strategic alliance with Israel.
Azerbaijan supplies 40-55% of Israel’s crude oil imports, while Israel has provided billions of dollars in advanced weaponry and technology, including Harop “suicide” drones and other systems that played a decisive role in Azerbaijan’s 2020 victory over Armenia. Israeli arms accounted for a majority of Baku’s imports in key periods, and intelligence cooperation is extensive, with reports of Mossad operational presence and electronic surveillance stations along the Iranian border.
Both nations view Iran as a shared threat – Tehran has long backed Armenia and harbors concerns over the roughly 20 million ethnic Azerbaijanis living inside Iran, the country’s largest minority.
This partnership has only strengthened in recent years. Azerbaijan opened a trade office in Tel Aviv in 2021 and an embassy in Israel in 2023; SOCAR, Azerbaijan’s state oil company, has taken stakes in Israeli Mediterranean gas fields. Israeli officials have described the relationship as an “iceberg,” with the bulk of security and intelligence ties hidden below the surface.
The current crisis also revives memories of a previous flashpoint. In May 2024, then-Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter took off from the Giz Galasi Dam on the Azerbaijan-Iran border – immediately after a joint inauguration ceremony with President Aliyev – before crashing in foggy mountainous terrain inside Iran, killing Raisi and several senior officials. While Iranian authorities attributed the crash to bad weather, some observers and social media commentary pointed to possible Israeli covert involvement, citing the close Baku-Jerusalem military-intelligence axis and long-standing Iranian accusations that Azerbaijan serves as a forward base for Israeli operations.
With Reuters, with additional content by EUalive
Caption: Iranian drones hit Azerbaijan airport, nearby school, videograbs
Updated: March 5, 2026 - 17:57
