Iran Denies Drone Strike on Azerbaijan, Claims Mossad Plotting False-Flag Operation

BAKU — Tensions in the Caucasus region have escalated after Azerbaijan accused Iran of launching a drone strike into the Nakhchivan exclave on Thursday, 5 March 2026. Tehran has strongly denied the claims and instead alleged that Israel was behind the attack to sow division among Muslim countries.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry reported that two drones were launched from Iranian territory and struck civilian targets around midday. One drone damaged the terminal building of Nakhchivan International Airport, while the other crashed near a school in the village of Shakarabad. The incident left at least four civilians injured.

President Ilham Aliyev described the attack as an ‘unjustified act of terror and aggression’. Aliyev summoned the National Security Council and ordered the Azerbaijani military to maintain the highest level of mobilisation.

‘Those who have tested our strength in the past have felt the crushing blow of the Iron Hand, and today’s events will yield the same result,’ Aliyev said.

The Iranian Armed Forces General Staff released an official statement through the state broadcaster IRIB, rejecting Baku’s claims. Tehran emphasised that its military policy is to respect the sovereignty of neighbouring states and to target only enemy bases (the United States and Israel) used to attack Iran.

Iran also strongly suspects that Israel deliberately launched drones into Azerbaijan to sway opinion against Iran (a false-flag operation). ‘Actions by the Zionist regime such as these, aimed at disrupting relations among Muslim countries, are not new,’ the statement said.