New Persian Gulf war puts Iranian Azerbaijanis in the spotlight
The recent American and Israeli military operation against Iran ignited a new and serious crisis between Baku and Tehran. According to Azerbaijan, on March 5th this year Iran attacked Azerbaijani territory with drones, injuring several people and stoking widespread fear that the new Persian Gulf war could spill into the South Caucasus.
April 21, 2026 -
Natalia Konarzewska
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AnalysisIssue 3 2026Magazine
Azerbaijani folk group performs in Iran.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
In early March, four Iranian Arash-2 drones hit Azerbaijan’s exclave of Nakhchivan, damaging a terminal of the Nakhchivan International Airport and landing close to the local school during school hours, injuring several bystanders. Given the potential for greater casualties, Baku reacted furiously. President Ilham Aliyev called the incident an “act of terror” and demanded an apology from Iran. Baku recalled diplomatic staff from Iran, placed its armed forces on combat readiness, and warned of retaliation in case of further incidents. Iran denied deliberately attacking Azerbaijan’s territory and reaffirmed its respect for Azerbaijan’s sovereignty. Some Iranian top officials called the incident an Israeli provocation, but warned Azerbaijan to rid itself of the “Zionist presence” in their country.
A few days after the drone incident, Azerbaijan announced that its security services thwarted several terrorist plots allegedly prepared by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). These plots reportedly targeted energy infrastructure, Israel’s embassy in Baku, and Jewish institutions in Azerbaijan.
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Azerbaijan-Iran relations, Azerbaijani minority, Iran, US-Iran war
