Drones launched from Iranian territory struck targets in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave on Thursday, damaging the terminal building of Nakhchivan International Airport and landing near a school in a nearby village, according to Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry. Two civilians were injured, Baku said, as it summoned Iran’s ambassador and demanded an explanation.
A source close to the Azerbaijani government told Reuters that “missiles and drones” coming from the direction of Iran fell close to the airport in Nakhchivan, a landlocked region separated from mainland Azerbaijan by Armenia. Nakhchivan International Airport lies about 10 kilometres from the Iranian border, increasing the risk of rapid escalation from any cross-border incident.
In a statement issued later on 5 March, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said one unmanned aerial vehicle hit the airport terminal building, while a second fell near a school building in the village of Shekerabad. The ministry said the airport facility sustained damage and that two civilians were wounded.
Local reporting initially suggested two drones were involved, with one falling on airport territory and another detonating in a school courtyard, before officials confirmed injuries and damage. There were no immediate reports of fatalities in the official statement.
Baku said it had called in Iran’s ambassador, Mojtaba Demirchilou, to deliver a formal protest and would hand over a note of complaint. It said it expected Tehran to provide clarification “in the shortest possible time” and to take steps to prevent any recurrence. The ministry added that Azerbaijan reserved the right to take “necessary measures” in response.
Iran had not publicly acknowledged targeting Azerbaijan in connection with the incident in the immediate aftermath, according to international reporting. Reuters said it could not independently verify the account provided by a source close to the Azerbaijani government.
The strike in Nakhchivan comes amid a fast-moving regional security crisis in which Iran has launched missiles and drones at multiple targets in and around the Middle East, and Israel and the United States have carried out strikes on Iranian territory. The conflict had entered its sixth day on Thursday, with wider disruption to air travel and growing concerns about spillover beyond the main theatres of fighting.
Nakhchivan’s geography makes it particularly exposed to regional turbulence. The exclave borders Iran to the south-west and Turkey to the west, while Armenia lies to the north and east. It has long been a strategic corridor, and any incident near its transport infrastructure carries implications for civilian traffic and regional connectivity.
Azerbaijan’s leadership has maintained a complex relationship with Iran, marked by periodic diplomatic disputes alongside trade and cross-border ties. Tensions have also been shaped by Baku’s close security relationship with Israel, a factor often cited in Iranian commentary about activity along Iran’s northern frontier. Azerbaijan has repeatedly rejected allegations that its territory is used for hostile operations against Iran.
Relations between Baku and Tehran deteriorated sharply in 2023 after an armed attack on Azerbaijan’s embassy in Tehran, in which an embassy security official was killed and others were injured. Azerbaijan at the time blamed Iranian authorities for failing to provide adequate protection, while Iran said it treated the incident as a criminal case.
The latest drone incident also intersects with a wider security picture in the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan has been in a shifting post-war environment following the end of Armenian control over Nagorno-Karabakh and continuing negotiations on a peace settlement with Armenia. Analysts have noted that any external pressure on border regions can complicate fragile regional arrangements and the movement of people and goods.
For now, Azerbaijan’s response has been framed in diplomatic and legal terms, centred on a demand for explanation, a formal protest, and the assertion of a right to respond. The practical next steps will depend on what Baku says it can establish about the origin and control of the drones, and on whether Tehran offers an account that Azerbaijani officials consider credible.
The incident is likely to be watched closely by neighbouring states and international partners, given Nakhchivan’s proximity to multiple borders and the rapid pace of escalation elsewhere in the region.
