• Azerbaijan confirms drone strikes from Iran injured four civilians in Nakhchivan.
• The Azerbaijani government condemns the attacks and demands diplomatic accountability from Iran.
• Azerbaijan is preparing retaliatory measures to protect its sovereignty and infrastructure.
• The tension arises amid ongoing regional conflicts involving Iran and its relations with Azerbaijan's allies.

Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that its Nakhchivan exclave was targeted by Iranian drones around midday on Thursday, resulting in injuries to four civilians. The attack included one drone striking the terminal building at Nakhchivan International Airport and another falling near a school in the village of Shakarabad, according to aa and aljazeera.

In response to these incidents, Azerbaijan has vehemently condemned the drone strikes and asserted its right to defend its territorial integrity. The foreign ministry summoned Iranian Ambassador Mojtaba Demirchilou to convey a formal protest, emphasizing that the attacks violate international law and escalate regional tensions. Baku is preparing unspecified retaliatory measures, as stated by multiple sources including lemonde and scmp.

The drone attacks are part of a larger context of rising tensions between Iran and Azerbaijan, particularly regarding Azerbaijan's growing military and economic ties with Turkey and Israel. Iran has expressed concerns that these alliances could pose a threat to its security, as Azerbaijan's territory lies adjacent to Iranian borders, and Tehran has accused Baku of becoming an Israeli stronghold. This situation intensifies with the ongoing conflicts involving Iran's responses to U.S. and Israeli military actions, as noted by aljazeera and scmp.