War Widens! Iran's Missiles Stray into Azerbaijan, Retaliation Planned
War Widens! Iran’s Missiles Stray into Azerbaijan, Retaliation Planned
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Fresh tensions have erupted in the Caucasus after Azerbaijan said it was preparing retaliatory steps following a drone attack originating from Iranian territory that wounded two civilians.
The Azerbaijani government said on Thursday, 5 March 2026, that at least two drones crossed from Iran into the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan, hitting the airport precinct and a location near a school. Nakhchivan borders Iran directly, but is separated from Azerbaijan’s main territory by Armenia.
In an official statement, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the attack occurred around midday and involved at least two unmanned aerial vehicles crossing the border from Iran.
“One drone fell at the terminal building of Nakhchivan Airport, while the other drone fell near the school building in the village of Shekerabad,” the ministry said in its statement, as reported by AFP.
The government added that the attack wounded two civilians and caused damage to airport facilities.
Azerbaijan Prepares Retaliation Steps
The Defence Ministry in the capital Baku said it was preparing retaliation steps against the attack.
In its statement, the ministry said it was “preparing the necessary retaliatory measures to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our state and to ensure the safety of civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
They also stressed that such actions would not be left unanswered.
As an initial response, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the Iranian envoy in Baku to lodge an official protest.
In its statement, the government of Azerbaijan said it had delivered a “strong protest” over the attack.
The drone strike, according to Baku, “goes against norms and principles of international law and contributes to rising tensions in the region.”
The Azerbaijani government also emphasised that the country reserves the right to respond.
Long-Standing Tensions with Iran
The incident comes amid a long-standing relationship shadowed by suspicion between Azerbaijan and Iran.
Tehran has for years voiced concerns that Israel, a close ally of Azerbaijan and a major arms supplier to the Caucasus state, could use Azerbaijan’s territory as a base to launch attacks against Iran.
In June last year, Azerbaijan sought to reassure Iran over such concerns.
Baku said it would not permit its territory to be used to launch attacks against Tehran after Israel carried out a major strike against targets inside Iran.
Beyond regional security concerns, the relationship between the two countries is often overshadowed by sensitivities within Iran.
Tehran has historically been wary of separatist sentiments among Azerbaijanis living in Iran. The group is estimated to number around 10 million people out of Iran’s total population of 83 million.