Azerbaijan has lodged an official protest with Iran after two drones launched from Iranian territory crossed into the country's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, damaging infrastructure and injuring two civilians, according to reports.
According to a report by Reuters, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said the incident occurred around noon on March 5, when two drones entered Azerbaijani airspace and struck locations in Nakhchivan, an exclave bordering Iran, Turkey and Armenia.
One drone crashed into the terminal building of Nakhchivan International Airport, while another fell near a school building in the village of Shekarabad, officials said.
Two civilians were injured and parts of the airport building sustained damage.
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“We strongly condemn these drone attacks carried out from the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X.
“This attack on Azerbaijani territory contradicts the norms and principles of international law and serves to increase tensions in the region.”
The ministry demanded that Tehran urgently clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident and take steps to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
“We demand that the Islamic Republic of Iran clarify the matter in the shortest possible time, provide an explanation and take the necessary urgent measures to prevent such incidents from recurring,” the statement said.
Azerbaijan also said it “reserves the right to take appropriate retaliatory measures.”
According to AzerNews, the drones involved are believed to be Iranian-made Arash-2 UAVs, a long-range one-way attack drone reportedly capable of striking targets up to 2,000 km away and carrying a 150 kg warhead.
Following the incident, Iran's ambassador to Azerbaijan, Mojtaba Dermichilu, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry where Azerbaijani officials said a strong protest would be conveyed and a formal diplomatic note would be handed over.
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Videos circulating online appeared to show smoke rising near the airport and damage inside the terminal building, though the footage has not been independently verified, AzerNews reported.
The reported strike comes amid heightened tensions in the region following recent military escalation involving Iran, the United States and Israel, raising concerns that the conflict could spill over into neighbouring areas.
Nakhchivan occupies a strategically sensitive position in the South Caucasus, and any confirmed strike there could have broader implications for regional security, the report added.
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