Azerbaijan confirms Iranian attack and prepares response

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense confirmed on March 5, 2026, that unmanned aerial vehicles launched from Iranian territory struck Nakhchivan International Airport and other civilian infrastructure in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

The ministry said the attack originated from Iran and involved drones crossing the border into Azerbaijani territory.

The incident has raised immediate security concerns along the Azerbaijan–Iran border, where the Nakhchivan exclave lies only a short distance from Iranian territory. The strike targeted civilian facilities rather than military installations, according to Azerbaijani officials.

In an official statement, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said: “On March 5, attack acts were carried out by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran from Iranian territory using unmanned aerial vehicles against the Nakhchivan International Airport and other civilian infrastructure of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of the Republic of Azerbaijan.”

The ministry said that specialists are currently examining the drones used in the attack. “The technical parameters of the unmanned aerial vehicles and the details of these attacks are being investigated,” the statement said.

Azerbaijan’s defense authorities condemned the incident and said the attack targeted non-military infrastructure. The ministry added: “The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan strongly condemns the attacks carried out by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran against civilian infrastructure on the territory of our country in the absence of any military necessity.”

Officials in Baku said responsibility for the attack lies with Iran. The statement noted that “full responsibility for the incident lies entirely with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is geographically separated from mainland Azerbaijan and borders Iran, Turkey, and Armenia. Its proximity to Iran places infrastructure such as airports, roads, and settlements within a short distance of the international border.

Nakhchivan International Airport serves as the primary aviation gateway for the exclave and plays a central role in connecting the region with other parts of Azerbaijan. Any attack on such infrastructure has the potential to disrupt transportation and civilian mobility in the region.