Azerbaijan, 6 March: Azerbaijan has accused Iran of launching drone strikes on its territory, raising tensions along the northern frontier of a widening regional conflict. The alleged attack targeted the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan, where a drone struck an airport terminal while another exploded near a school, injuring civilians. Azerbaijani defence systems reportedly intercepted an additional drone.
President Ilham Aliyev condemned the incident in unusually strong language, calling the attack an “act of terror” and describing those responsible as “ugly, cowardly and disgusting.” Baku has demanded an explanation and apology from Tehran while placing its armed forces on high alert.
Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry said technical monitoring systems tracked four drones originating from Iranian territory. Iran has firmly denied involvement, suggesting the incident may have been a “false-flag” operation carried out by Israel to escalate tensions between the two neighbours.
The dispute has also revived a sensitive political issue. Aliyev stated that “independent Azerbaijan is a place of hope for Azerbaijanis living in Iran,” referring to the estimated 20–25 million ethnic Azeris who live in Iran’s north-west and form the country’s largest minority. The comment is likely to unsettle Tehran, which has long viewed cross-border Azerbaijani identity as a potential challenge to national unity.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated in recent years. Iran has repeatedly accused Azerbaijan of allowing Israeli intelligence operations near its northern border, an allegation Baku denies. Azerbaijan maintains close security and energy ties with Israel and supplies more than 40% of Israel’s crude oil, a relationship that Tehran views with deep suspicion.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has long criticised Iran for its political and military support for Armenia during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Tehran has also opposed plans for a proposed land corridor linking Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave, arguing that it could alter regional power dynamics.
The drone incident comes amid a broader escalation of hostilities across the Middle East. Iran has launched new waves of missile and drone attacks against Israel and U.S. military bases in the region, while Israel says it has intensified strikes on Iranian military infrastructure and allied groups.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it conducted “intelligence-based strikes” on Hezbollah command centres in Beirut and reported that Israeli air power has destroyed or disabled around 300 Iranian mobile missile launchers since the conflict began. Israeli officials say the latest operations form part of the “12th wave of strikes” targeting Iranian security facilities, missile sites and air-defence systems.
The conflict has also expanded to maritime theatres. The U.S. Navy sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, reportedly killing 87 sailors, in an incident that further heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.
The war has already caused significant damage inside Iran. Independent verification by analysts has confirmed strikes in more than 20 locations across Tehran and dozens of other cities. Satellite imagery indicates at least 11 Iranian naval vessels have been damaged or destroyed in attacks on coastal bases.
Civilian casualties have also mounted. Activist groups report more than 1,100 civilian deaths in Iran since late February, although precise numbers remain difficult to verify. Iranian media have also reported a missile strike on a girls’ school in Minab that killed 168 people, including children, though the claim has not been independently confirmed.
Energy security concerns are also growing as the conflict spreads. Azerbaijan operates a major pipeline carrying over one million barrels of oil per day from the Caspian Sea through Georgia to Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, a route that supplies global markets and provides Europe with energy that bypasses both Russian and Iranian territory.
With Azerbaijan now drawn into the crisis and tensions rising along Iran’s northern border, analysts warn the conflict could widen further, potentially reshaping security dynamics across the Caucasus and the Middle East.
