Full chronology of the drone attack on Nakhchivan International Airport, Azerbaijan, 2026
Escalating tensions in the Caucasus peaked after a drone attack, believed to be by Iran, struck civilian infrastructure at Nakhchivan International Airport in Azerbaijan on Thursday, 5 March 2026, in broad daylight, raising fears the conflict could spill into Southern Caucasus.
According to official data from Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the attack began at around 12:00 local time (GMT+4).
Location: Nakhchivan International Airport (NAJ), Azerbaijan.
Time: Thursday, 5 March 2026, 12:00 local time (GMT+4).
Impact: Damage to the airport terminal and four civilians injured.
President Ilham Aliyev, in an emergency address, said the military had been ordered to take necessary retaliation. “This is aggression against our sovereignty and will not go unanswered,” he said.
Iranian authorities, via a foreign ministry spokesman, denied involvement, claiming possibilities of provocation from outside actors aiming to damage relations among Muslim countries in the region.
As previously reported, Azerbaijani authorities said two drones originated from Iran landed in the Nakhchivan region, one of which struck the airport building.
The attack directly affected the Caucasus air corridor, a vital route for international carriers avoiding Russian airspace. Major airlines such as Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways were reported to divert routes to avoid Nakhchivan airspace in the immediate aftermath.
Iran claimed that Israel was behind the drone attack on Azerbaijan. IRNA reported that Israel has a history of such operations intended to sow discord.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied the attack, suggesting Israel orchestrated the drone strike on Nakhchivan Airport to damage Tehran’s relations with its neighbours.
Additionally, as reported earlier by authorities, the two drones from Iran landed in Nakhchivan, with one striking the airport building. Azerbaijan condemned the drone attack and two people were injured in the civilian facility. Baku vowed retaliation.
There were also reports of a separate incident in Abu Dhabi, where two Iranian drones allegedly sparked a fire at Al Salam base that houses French troops; the UAE said there were no casualties.