Iran denies Azerbaijan drone attack claims after Baku accused Tehran of launching drone strikes on the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic from Iranian territory.
Iran’s General Staff of the Armed Forces said Iranian forces did not launch any drones toward Azerbaijan and stressed that Iran respects the sovereignty of all nations, particularly neighbouring and Muslim countries, according to IRNA.
In its statement, Iran suggested Israel may be behind the reported strikes. The General Staff said Israel has a history of conducting such operations to sow discord among Muslim nations and claimed investigations indicated Israel carried out the attack to frame Iran.
Azerbaijan's President Aliyev after Iran's drone attack on Azerbaijan today:
Media outlets controlled by Iranian state bodies conducted a dirty slander campaign against Azerbaijan in order to smear our country and influence the views of our compatriots living in Iran.
They… pic.twitter.com/gHE36GxuCm
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 5, 2026The denial came after Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry publicly accused Iran earlier Thursday of launching drone attacks into Nakhchivan.
What Azerbaijan reported in Nakhchivan
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said the strikes happened around midday and hit the terminal building of Nakhchivan International Airport, injuring two civilians and causing structural damage.
The ministry also said another drone fell near a school in the village of Shakarabad.
Azerbaijan condemned the incident as a violation of international law and warned it could escalate regional tensions. It also said it summoned the Iranian envoy in Baku to deliver a strong protest.
Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry said it was preparing “necessary retaliatory measures” and warned the attacks “will not go unanswered.”
Read: Israel Targets Iran Underground Missile Sites in ‘Second Phase’ of War, Sources Say
The dispute comes amid heightened hostilities in the region following joint strikes launched since Saturday by Israel and the United States on Tehran and other Iranian cities.
Iran has responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israeli and US assets in the Middle East, the report said.
