Iran tells Azerbaijan Nakhchivan drone attack 'not linked' to Tehran, promises probe

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian moved to ease tensions with neighboring Azerbaijan on Sunday, denying any Iranian involvement in a drone attack on Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave and promising a full investigation. According to a statement from the Azerbaijani presidency following a telephone conversation between the two leaders, Pezeshkian "emphasized that the incident would be investigated" and affirmed that the attack was not linked to Tehran.

Baku presses for answers on cross-border strike

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, for his part, stressed the importance of thoroughly investigating the incident that targeted his country's territory. The attack, which occurred Thursday, saw drones launched from Iranian soil strike multiple locations in the Nakhchivan exclave, with one projectile hitting the terminal building of Nakhchivan International Airport and another falling near a school in the village of Shakarabad. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry had formally confirmed the cross-border nature of the strikes, raising tensions between the neighboring countries amid the broader regional conflict.

Diplomatic outreach amid condolences

During the phone call, Pezeshkian expressed gratitude to Aliyev for visiting the Iranian Embassy in Baku to offer condolences over the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other civilians killed in the ongoing US-Israeli offensive. The Iranian president also thanked Azerbaijan for its intention to provide humanitarian aid, according to the Azerbaijani statement. No immediate confirmation of the call was issued from Iranian sources.

Regional conflict threatens to draw in neighbors

The Nakhchivan incident highlights the risk of the expanding US-Israeli-Iranian conflict spilling over into neighboring states. Since Feb. 28, the American-Israeli campaign against Iran has reportedly killed over 1,200 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top military commanders. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israeli territory and numerous countries hosting US military assets. As the conflict intensifies, regional powers like Azerbaijan find themselves navigating dangerous waters, with Iranian projectiles landing on their territory and the potential for further escalation ever present.