Iranian drones strike Azerbaijani territory, injuring two civilians; Azerbaijan vows retaliation

At least two drones crossed the border from Iran into Azerbaijan, striking an area of Nakhichevan airport and near a school in the village of Shekerabad on Thursday (5/3). Azerbaijani authorities summoned Iran’s diplomatic envoy to lodge a strong protest and warned of retaliation. The daytime attack, reported by AFP on Thursday, March 5, 2026, involved at least two drones that flew from Iranian territory to Nakhichevan, the Azerbaijani exclave bordered by Iran and separated from the mainland by Armenia. ‘One drone crashed into the terminal building of Nakhichevan Airport, while another fell near a school building in the village of Shekerabad,’ the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The Foreign Ministry also said the drone attack caused damage to the airport and injured two civilians. The incident occurred as Iran launched a volley of retaliatory strikes in response to US and Israel strikes on its territory since Saturday (Feb 28). Tehran targeted Israel and Gulf states hosting US troops. In response to the drone attack, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry summoned Iran’s envoy in Baku to convey ‘strong protests.’ Azerbaijani authorities stressed that such an attack ‘violates norms and principles of international law and contributes to heightened tensions in the region.’ ‘Azerbaijan reserves the right to take appropriate retaliatory action,’ the Foreign Ministry said. A stronger response was also voiced by the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry, which said the country is preparing to retaliate. ‘Azerbaijan is preparing the necessary retaliatory steps to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our state, and to ensure the safety of civilians and civilian infrastructure,’ the Defence Ministry said. ‘These attack actions will not be left unanswered,’ it asserted. The latest tension comes as Iran has long worried that Israel, a close ally of Azerbaijan, could use Azerbaijani territory to attack Iran. In June last year, Azerbaijan assured Iran that they would not permit their territory to be used to attack Tehran after Israel launched a large-scale strike that triggered a 12-day war. Watch Live DetikSore: