Azerbaijan evacuates embassy staff from Iran after drone incursion, escalating tensions between the two neighbouring nations.
BAKU: Azerbaijan is evacuating its diplomatic staff from Iran for their own safety. Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov announced the move on Friday.
The decision follows Baku’s claim that four Iranian drones crossed its border and injured four people in the Nakhchivan exclave on Thursday. “We cannot put the lives of our people at risk,” Bayramov said.
He stated the evacuation of the embassy in Tehran and the consulate in Tabriz was ordered by President Ilham Aliyev. The instructions are already being implemented.
Azerbaijan reacted angrily to the alleged drone incursion, with President Aliyev threatening retaliation. Iran has denied launching the drones.
The two countries have long had tense relations. Azerbaijan’s close ties with Israel have drawn particular ire from Tehran.
While both nations share a majority Shi’ite Islamic faith, Azerbaijan’s government is firmly secular.
