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Iranian Missiles and Drones Hit Azerbaijani Airport Near Border, Leaving Two Injured
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An Iranian barrage consisting of missiles and drones hit the territory of the international airport in Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani exclave.
According to a Reuters report on March 3, citing a source close to the government in Baku, the strike hit a facility located roughly 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with Iran.
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Azerbaijan has officially confirmed the Iranian attack, reporting that two individuals were injured.
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that one drone struck the terminal building of the Nakhchivan airport, while another hit near a school in the village of Shekerabad.
“We demand that Iran clarify the situation as soon as possible and take the necessary and urgent measures to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future. The Azerbaijani side reserves the right to take appropriate retaliatory measures,” the statement read.
Two days earlier, on March 3, Azerbaijan has reportedly placed its armed forces and security agencies on combat readiness, moving reinforcement troops and hardware to the border with Iran.
In a defensive move, Azerbaijan has also stationed specialized anti-drone units and air defense systems designed to target low-altitude threats along the Iranian frontier.
Opposition figure Yadigar Sadigli characterized the military buildup as a logical precaution given the volatility of the current conflict.
“The head of state, of course, must take certain precautions, undertake certain steps, and if they have taken them, I think that’s normal. A lot can happen. Tomorrow, chaos could arise, some kind of a military unit commander could take action independently,” Sadigli told OC Media.
Sadigli noted that maintaining high readiness for both ground and air defense forces is “perfectly natural” for any nation adjacent to a combat zone.
“Let’s say a missile could evade its target and hit Azerbaijan, but it could be something else,” he remarked, adding that “it’s especially important to bring air defense forces to basic combat readiness. Aviation [support] must also be in place, and, of course, ground forces must also be ready.”
Earlier, it was reported that the Pentagon and at least one government in the Gulf are in talks to acquire Ukrainian-produced interceptors to defend against Iranian drone strikes.
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