BAKU — An Iranian drone strike hit the airport terminal in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on Thursday, injuring two civilians and damaging infrastructure, Azerbaijani authorities said, in an incident that comes amid longstanding tensions between Tehran and Baku over Azerbaijan’s ties with Israel.
Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attack occurred at about noon local time. According to the ministry, one drone struck the terminal building of Nakhchivan airport while another fell near a school in the nearby village of Shakarabad.
Officials said the incident caused material damage and injured two civilians. Azerbaijan condemned the attack and summoned Iran’s ambassador in Baku, Mojtaba Demirchilou, demanding an explanation.
The ministry said Azerbaijan “reserves the right to take appropriate response measures” following the incident.
Strategic location and political tensions
Nakhchivan is an Azerbaijani exclave bordering Iran and Turkiye, making it a sensitive area in the geopolitics of the South Caucasus.
Relations between Iran and Azerbaijan have been strained in recent years, partly because of Azerbaijan’s security and economic ties with Israel. Iranian officials have repeatedly accused Baku of allowing Israeli intelligence activities near Iran’s northern border, allegations Azerbaijan has denied.
The region has also drawn international attention due to proposed transit routes linking Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan through Armenian territory following a US-backed agreement aimed at improving regional connectivity.
Wider regional security incidents
The Nakhchivan strike comes as tensions rise across several parts of the Middle East and surrounding regions amid the broader confrontation involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
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Regional authorities reported additional incidents on Thursday. Qatar said its air defence systems intercepted a missile over Doha, while Saudi Arabia reported shooting down a drone near the Al-Jawf region.
Oman Oil Marketing Company said one of its storage tanks was damaged in a separate incident, and Iraqi officials reported drone activity near a US military facility close to Baghdad International Airport.
Earlier this week, Turkiye said a ballistic missile launched from Iran toward Turkish airspace was intercepted by NATO missile defence systems over the eastern Mediterranean after passing through Syrian and Iraqi airspace. Iran’s armed forces later denied launching missiles toward Turkiye.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara was coordinating with NATO allies and taking precautionary measures to prevent further incidents.
Meanwhile, fighting has also intensified along the Israel–Hezbollah front in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have carried out air strikes and cross-border operations.
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