Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev accused Iran of carrying out a drone attack on Thursday targeting an airport and a school in the Nakhchivan exclave, threatening retaliation and raising fears that the Middle East war could expand.
The Azerbaijani military reported that at least four drones crossed from Iran into Nakhchivan, with one striking the airport and another exploding near a school. Four people were hospitalised with traumatic brain injuries, though the school itself avoided direct impact. Video footage showed a drone crashing and exploding near the school, though AFP could not independently verify the material.
Aliyev called the attack a “terrorist act” and placed Azerbaijani forces on mobilisation level one, instructing them to prepare retaliatory measures. The defence ministry said one drone was disabled by Azerbaijani forces, while others targeted civilian infrastructure.
Iran denied involvement, blaming Israel, Azerbaijan’s close ally, for the incident. Tehran’s armed forces described such actions as typical provocations by Israel aimed at destabilising Muslim countries.
The attack drew international condemnation: France called it an “unjustifiable” violation of Azerbaijan’s sovereignty, and Turkey criticised strikes that risk expanding the conflict. Azerbaijan summoned the Iranian envoy, demanding a “clear explanation” and investigation.
Analysts noted the potential vulnerability of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, which carries about a third of Israel’s oil imports through Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey. Although mostly underground, above-ground infrastructure like terminals and pumping stations could be targeted in future drone strikes.
Historically, Iran has been concerned about Azerbaijan’s support for Israel and wary of its own ethnic Azerbaijani minority, numbering around 10 million, in the country of 83 million. Last year, Azerbaijan reassured Tehran it would not allow Israeli strikes to use its territory, following previous Israeli attacks on Iranian targets.
