Foreign Minister: Azerbaijan Withdraws Diplomatic Staff from Iran

Baku, Azerbaijan — Azerbaijan is withdrawing its diplomatic staff from Iran, with President Ilham Aliyev having decided to pull entirely the personnel from Iran. The move covers the embassy in Tehran and the consulate-general in Tabriz, and work is currently underway. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that a drone attack had been launched from Iranian territory into the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, injuring four people. Following the attack, Aliyev told a Security Council meeting that the armed forces, the State Border Service, and a unit of special forces had been placed on full alert. On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched a series of strikes against several targets inside Iran, including Tehran, causing damage and civilian casualties. Iranian state television confirmed the martyrdom of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a result of the attack. Iran then retaliated by firing missiles at Israel and US military facilities in the Middle East.