Mar 6, 2026
Azerbaijan has assumed what can be described as an aggressive-defensive posture as the government seeks to prevent a repeat of the March 5 Iranian drone strikes in the Nakhchivan exclave.
For officials in Baku, the psychological impact of the Iranian attack was perhaps more significant than the damage and bodily harm it caused. President Ilham Aliyev and his lieutenants in government had gone to significant lengths to foster goodwill with the Iranian leadership during the early days of the US-Israeli blitz, actions that they believed could insulate Azerbaijan from the widening war.
To their evident dismay, their assumptions were proven wrong. An indicator of the shock inflicted by the drone incident could be seen in initial responses of Azerbaijani officials, who used words such as “ingratitude,” “hypocrisy” and “despicable” when describing Iranian behavior.
Early on March 6, the Defense Ministry quietly posted an Azeri-language-only notice on its Telegram channel announcing that the army was calling up reservists and had placed military units on alert.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijani officials, amplified by state-affiliated media outlets, kept up a steady stream of confrontational rhetoric that seemed intent on scaring Iran from sending more drones in Azerbaijan’s direction. One March 6 headline of a commentary published by the government-connected Caliber news outlet, for example, read: “Drones over Nakhchivan: Iran is playing with fire.”
At the same time, the government and state-aligned media have published myriad statements and reports about international support for Azerbaijan and condemnations of the drone strikes.
In terms of direct retaliation, Azerbaijansealed its land border with Iran, preventing the transit of truck-borne cargo between the two states. A government statement noted that the closure was a temporary measure, indicating that traffic can resume if bilateral relations can be placed back on an even keel. Baku has also ordered the evacuation of its diplomats from Tehran, citing safety concerns.
Moving forward, a big concern for Azerbaijan appears to be keeping the Armenian-Azerbaijani provisional peace agreement on track, in particular the deal’s centerpiece, the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, or TRIPP, which is envisioned as a pivotal link in the emerging Middle Corridor trade network. The drone attacks highlighted TRIPP’s vulnerability to potential Iranian interference once it becomes fully operational.
Late on March 5, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov consulted by phone with his Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, to discuss the ramifications of the drone attack on TRIPP’s development. The two stressed “the importance of ensuring sustainable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” according to an Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry statement.
Azerbaijani officials have stated that any effort to stabilize Baku’s relations with Iran must begin with an Iranian admission of responsibility for the drone incident and punishment of those responsible. Iranian military officials have so far denied any responsibility.
https://eurasianet.org/azerbaijan-quietly-mobilizes-military-following-iranian-drone-incident
“President Ilham Aliyev and his lieutenants in government had gone to significant lengths to foster goodwill with the Iranian leadership during the early days of the US-Israeli blitz, actions that they believed could insulate Azerbaijan from the widening war.”
“To their evident dismay, their assumptions were proven wrong.”
“…who used words such as “ingratitude,” “hypocrisy” and “despicable” when describing Iranian behavior.”
This is exactly what happens when you trust a trash country, especially one that subsists on human blood, like iran. Azerbaijan should have known who they were dealing with after seeing the mullah regime support the mafia state slaughter thousands of innocent civilians in Ukraine.