Azerbaijan: Iran Attacks Nakhchivan International Airport

Escalation of tensions in the Caucasus has reached a critical point after Iran’s military launched a drone attack on the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan on Thursday (5 March). The attack targeted Nakhchivan International Airport and several other civilian facilities.

The Azerbaijan Ministry of Defence, as cited by local media News.Az, said details of drone technical specifications and the chronology of the attack are still under intensive investigation.

Separate reports said at least three Iranian drones struck the passenger terminal at the airport near the border. Local authorities told Euronews that at least two people were injured due to explosions in the terminal area.

‘The ministry strongly condemns this attack. There was no military necessity to target civilian facilities,’ said a spokesperson for Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defence in the official statement.

The Azerbaijani government stated that Iran bears full responsibility for the bloody incident. Baku also said it is preparing emergency measures to protect sovereignty, territorial integrity, and civilian safety.

‘Such attacks will not go unpunished,’ added the ministry official.

This incident further complicates the region, given that Nakhchivan is an Azerbaijani exclave geographically trapped between Iran, Armenia, and Turkey, making it a highly sensitive point in regional geopolitics.

The World Endurance Championship (WEC) has become the first major motorsport series to postpone a race due to the escalation of the conflict.