Iranian drone over Azerbaijani airport: the context and reactions

Nakhchivan was hit in the enclave that is supposed to be reconnected to Baku with the corridor provided for in the agreement signed by Trump to end the war with Armenia. The historic dispute with Iran over overlapping territories and different interpretations of the Shiite variant of Islam. Tehran denies responsibility, but Aliyev says he is ready to “defend his country's security and territorial integrity”.

Baku (AsiaNews) - An Iranian Shahed drone - or perhaps more than one, according to videos circulating online - crashed yesterday on the territory of the airport in Nakhchivan, the capital of Azerbaijan's autonomous enclave in Armenia, which is expected to be reconnected to the mother country with the reopening of the ‘Trump Peace Corridor’. Tripp, the main agreement that Baku and Yerevan accepted last year in Washington to end the conflicts between the two countries and reopen trade routes between the South Caucasus and the entire Middle East region.

Azerbaijan is one of Iran's historical enemies, due to the overlap of territories and ethnic groups (northern Iran is called “southern Azerbaijan” in Baku) and the different interpretation of the Shiite variant of Islam, which for Iranians must result in a monarchical-religious state, while the Azeris propose a much more secular variant. Among the many attacks by Iran across the Middle East, the one against the Azerbaijani region is one of the most symbolic actions at a regional and ideological level.

Schools around the airport area were evacuated, and the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said that one drone fell on the airport terminal, while a second fell right next to a school in the village of Šekarabad. The main airport building was seriously damaged, with two civilian casualties hospitalised, and Baku directly accused Tehran of the incident, stating that the Azeris “reserve the right to respond appropriately”. Iran's ambassador to Baku was summoned by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry and handed a note of protest, and several countries, including Britain and Israel, condemned Iran as responsible for the incident.

The fact that an airport was targeted is particularly significant, given that Azerbaijan's airspace is now extremely important, located in the narrow corridor between Russia and Iran, two areas whose airspace is currently impracticable for Western airlines. It is also worth remembering the close relations that Baku has cultivated with Israel over the years.

The Iranian army's general staff has denied Tehran's involvement in the launch of the drones, noting that “Iran respects the sovereignty of all countries, especially Muslim and neighbouring countries”, shifting the blame onto Israel, as reiterated by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Garibabadi. Azerbaijan, however, insists that the drones were launched from Iran, and President Ilham Aliyev himself spoke of a ‘terrorist act’, demanding official explanations, apologies and the identification of those responsible from Iran. Aliyev reiterated that Azerbaijan is not participating and has no intention of participating in military operations against Iran, but is ‘ready to defend its security and territorial integrity.’

Iran is responding to attacks by Israel and the US by attacking all countries in the region that collaborate with the Americans, with actions against Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Azerbaijan does not have any US military bases and has not participated in any way in operations against Iran. The autonomous region of Nakhchivan is located within the territory of Armenia, which expresses its solidarity with the Iranians, and borders both Iran and Turkey for short stretches.

The technical parameters of the drones that fell on Azerbaijani territory are still under investigation, as announced by the Ministry of Defence in Baku, which nevertheless confirmed the accusations against Iran for an attack “without any justification”. Azerbaijan declares itself “ready to ensure the safety of the civilian population and infrastructure in the Nakhchivan region”, confirming that “what has happened will not go unanswered”. This situation risks opening up another front in the war that has broken out in the Middle East.