{"id":34543,"date":"2026-03-06T00:33:31","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T22:33:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=34543"},"modified":"2026-03-06T02:46:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T00:46:27","slug":"drone-strike-hits-azerbaijans-nakhchivan-airport-iran-denies-involvement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/drone-strike-hits-azerbaijans-nakhchivan-airport-iran-denies-involvement\/","title":{"rendered":"Drone strike hits Azerbaijan\u2019s Nakhchivan\u00a0airport, Iran denies involvement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>7 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Azerbaijan reported that multiple drones were launched toward its territory on March 5, 2026, with one striking the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The attack damaged the passenger terminal of Nakhchivan International Airport and injured four civilians.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Nakhchivan enclave borders Iran and Turkiye and is separated from the rest of Azerbaijan by Armenian territory, making it strategically sensitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>President Ilham Aliyev strongly condemned the attack and demanded an explanation from Tehran. Azerbaijani authorities say the incident represents a direct violation of international law and warned that the country could take retaliatory measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe will not tolerate this groundless act of terror and aggression committed against Azerbaijan,\u201d Aliyev said during a meeting of the Azerbaijan Security Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Azerbaijan\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the attack occurred around midday when multiple drones approached the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One drone struck the terminal building at Nakhchivan International Airport, causing visible damage to the structure and forcing emergency crews to respond to the scene. Another drone crashed near a school building in the nearby village of Shakarabad. Authorities say two civilians were injured in the incident.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"800\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Today drones launched from Iran struck Azerbaijan\u2019s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. One hit the airport terminal, another landed near a school. The attack damaged the airport and injured two civilians. Azerbaijan has condemned the strike and demanded an explanation. \ud83d\udc47 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4AxTz0Xwg7\">pic.twitter.com\/4AxTz0Xwg7<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Nasimi Aghayev\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddff (@NasimiAghayev) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NasimiAghayev\/status\/2029480664911712700?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 5, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>\u201cWe strongly condemn these drone attacks launched from the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which resulted in damage to the airport building and injuries to two civilians,\u201d the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Azerbaijani military has reportedly been placed on full combat readiness following the strike. Azerbaijan has summoned Iran\u2019s ambassador, Mojtaba Demirchilu, to explain the incident. Officials in Baku say they expect a formal apology and accountability for those responsible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aliyev also demanded that Iran provide an explanation and punish those behind the attack. \u201cIranian officials must provide an explanation to the Azerbaijani side, an apology must be offered, and those who committed this terrorist act must be held criminally liable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Iran Denies Responsibility<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Iran has denied carrying out the attack and rejected accusations from Azerbaijan. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was not behind the drone strike and suggested that Israel may be responsible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Iran\u2019s foreign ministry, Araghchi told Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov that the incident could have been designed to damage relations between the two neighboring countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a message published on Telegram, Araghchi described the strike as an operation \u201caimed at diverting public opinion and undermining Iran\u2019s good relations with its neighbours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Drone-hits-Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan-airport.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"700\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Drone-hits-Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan-airport.jpg?resize=1000%2C700&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A drone explodes at the airport of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan\" class=\"wp-image-34547\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Drone-hits-Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan-airport.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Drone-hits-Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan-airport.jpg?resize=300%2C210&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Drone-hits-Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan-airport.jpg?resize=768%2C538&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>A drone explodes at the airport of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video released on March 5, 2026. (Image Credit: Social Media\/X\/via IRIA)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Iran\u2019s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also denied any involvement. \u201cThe Islamic Republic of Iran has not targeted the Republic of Azerbaijan,\u201d he said. \u201cWe do not target our neighboring countries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He added that Iran\u2019s military operations are directed only at the bases of its enemies in the region. \u201cIran\u2019s policy is only to strike the military bases of its enemies that are active in the region and those bases that are used to attack Iran, including those of the United States and Israel,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the denials, Azerbaijan\u2019s defense ministry said technical monitoring systems had confirmed that four Iranian drones were directed toward the Nakhchivan region. Officials in Baku said Tehran\u2019s denial \u201ccannot be considered acceptable under any circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Turkiye Backs Azerbaijan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Turkiye, a close ally of Azerbaijan, quickly condemned the attack and warned against the expansion of the war into new regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe strongly condemn the drone attacks carried out today on Azerbaijan,\u201d Turkiye\u2019s foreign ministry said. The statement added that Ankara would continue to support Baku.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTurkiye will continue to stand by Azerbaijan, as it always has.\u201d Turkish officials also warned that attacks against third countries risk spreading the war even further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country is taking precautions in coordination with NATO allies to prevent similar incidents.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Turkish-President-Erdogan-with-Azerbaijani-President-Aliyev.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"678\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Turkish-President-Erdogan-with-Azerbaijani-President-Aliyev.jpg?resize=1016%2C678&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev\" class=\"wp-image-17959\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Turkish-President-Erdogan-with-Azerbaijani-President-Aliyev.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Turkish-President-Erdogan-with-Azerbaijani-President-Aliyev.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Turkish-President-Erdogan-with-Azerbaijani-President-Aliyev.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Turkish-President-Erdogan-with-Azerbaijani-President-Aliyev.jpg?resize=589%2C392&amp;ssl=1 589w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Turkish-President-Erdogan-with-Azerbaijani-President-Aliyev.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, on September 25, 2023. (Image Credit: Twitter\/@RTErdogan)<\/sup><\/em><br><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Strategic Tensions Around Nakhchivan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The drone strike has drawn attention to the geopolitical tensions surrounding Nakhchivan and a controversial transport project linking Azerbaijan to the exclave. The region was included in a United States-brokered peace agreement signed last year between Armenia and Azerbaijan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under that deal, a proposed land corridor known as the \u201cTrump Route for International Peace and Prosperity\u201d would connect mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan. The project would also create a transit corridor between Armenia and Azerbaijan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Iran has strongly opposed the plan, which is also known as the Zangezur corridor. Tehran fears the route could reduce its access to Armenia and allow Western or Israeli influence to move closer to its northern borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Iran has repeatedly accused Azerbaijan of allowing Israel to operate intelligence facilities on its territory. Iranian officials have warned in the past that Azerbaijan\u2019s cooperation with Israel could threaten Iran\u2019s security. Analysts say the drone strike could be connected to these long-standing tensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>War Expanding Across the Region<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The incident in Azerbaijan comes as the broader war between Iran, Israel, and the United States continues to spread across the Middle East. Iranian drones and missiles have reportedly targeted several countries in the region in recent days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Iraq, drones struck near a United States military base close to Baghdad International Airport. In Qatar, the country\u2019s Ministry of Defense said its air defense systems intercepted multiple incoming missiles.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Iranian-made-Shahed-136-drone.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"678\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Iranian-made-Shahed-136-drone.jpg?resize=1016%2C678&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Iranian-made Shahed-136 drone\" class=\"wp-image-34518\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Iranian-made-Shahed-136-drone.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Iranian-made-Shahed-136-drone.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Iranian-made-Shahed-136-drone.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Iranian-made-Shahed-136-drone.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Iranian-made-Shahed-136-drone.jpg?resize=589%2C392&amp;ssl=1 589w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Iranian-made-Shahed-136-drone.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>Iranian-made Shahed-136 drone flies over the sky of Kermanshah in March 2024. (Image Credit: Middle East Images\/AFP\/via X)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur Armed Forces successfully intercepted (13) missiles while the last one fell in the territorial waters of the State of Qatar,\u201d the ministry said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Officials added that four drones were also intercepted without casualties. Saudi Arabia also reported shooting down a drone near the northern al-Jawf region, while Oman said one of its oil storage tanks was damaged in a drone attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, Turkiye said a ballistic missile launched from Iran was intercepted by NATO air defense systems after passing over Syria and Iraq toward Turkish airspace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on March 5 that Iran is seeking to escalate the \u200cconflict in the Middle East by attacking other countries. Kallas said, \u201cRight now, the [Iranian] regime \u200btries to drag as many countries into this war as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Iran\u2019s armed forces denied firing a missile toward Turkiye. At the same time, the Israel-Hezbollah front in Lebanon has been reignited, with Israeli airstrikes and cross-border fighting intensifying again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Risk of Wider Regional War<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The attack on Azerbaijan highlights the growing risk that the conflict could spread beyond the Middle East into neighboring regions such as the Caucasus and Eastern Mediterranean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Azerbaijan\u2019s close ties with Turkiye, Israel, and the United States place it in a particularly sensitive position as the war expands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If tensions between Baku and Tehran escalate further, the South Caucasus could become another front in an already widening conflict. For now, both sides are exchanging accusations while regional governments watch closely for signs that the confrontation could turn into a direct military clash.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Turkey-Azerbaijan-forces-drills.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Turkey-Azerbaijan-forces-drills.jpg?resize=576%2C384&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Turkey-Azerbaijan military drills\" class=\"wp-image-18705\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Turkey-Azerbaijan-forces-drills.jpg?w=576&amp;ssl=1 576w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Turkey-Azerbaijan-forces-drills.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>Turkish and Azerbaijani armed forces participate in joint tactical drills. (Image Credit: Trend.az)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Azerbaijan reported that multiple drones were launched toward its territory on March 5, 2026, with one striking the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The attack damaged the passenger terminal of Nakhchivan International Airport and injured four civilians.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34548,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[124,44,1],"tags":[143,566,181,75,43,30,26,356,82,540],"class_list":["post-34543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-pacific","category-middle-east","category-news","tag-azerbaijan","tag-caucasus","tag-central-asia","tag-conflict","tag-drone","tag-iran","tag-israel","tag-middle-east","tag-turkey","tag-turkiye"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Drone-attack-on-Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan-airport.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-8Z9","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34543","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34543"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34543\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34560,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34543\/revisions\/34560"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}