Azerbaijan orders retaliatory strike preparations after Iranian drone attack

2026-03-05 - 17:04

Shafaq News- Baku Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev ordered the military on Thursday to prepare retaliatory strikes against Iran after Baku accused Tehran of launching a drone attack on Azerbaijani territory. Aliyev described the incident as an “unjustified terrorist and aggressive act,” saying Iran’s shelling of Azerbaijani territory would remain “a stain on its record.” He added that the alleged attack came despite Azerbaijan assisting Iran in evacuating diplomats from Lebanon. “Iran asked us to help evacuate its diplomatic mission in Beirut due to limited capabilities, and we immediately agreed,” Aliyev said. “Their response was to strike our territory.” President Ilham Aliyev’s speech at the Security Council meeting pic.twitter.com/HFcDvwA3TK — Ilham Aliyev (@presidentaz) March 5, 2026 Earlier today, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said an Iranian drone crashed near an airport in the Nakhchivan exclave, while another fell close to a school. Iran’s General Staff denied launching any drones toward Azerbaijan and has repeatedly rejected accusations that its drones and missiles have targeted civilian infrastructure during the ongoing conflict.