An Iranian Foreign Ministry Official Announced the 'Imminent' Reopening of the Azerbaijani Embassy

An official from the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced the 'imminent' reopening of the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran in the near future. Mojtaba Damirchilu, assistant minister and director general for Eurasia at the Foreign Ministry, stated that the Azerbaijani embassy in Iran will reopen in the coming days and the ambassador will begin his duties, saying: 'We expect this to happen within the next 15 to 20 days.' This government official pointed out that the Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan has not yet been appointed, stating: 'The process of appointing an ambassador is a lengthy process, so the government must be established first and then the ambassador appointed.' On Friday, April 10, the Mehr News Agency reported, citing a knowledgeable source in the Foreign Ministry, that Abbas Mousavi's mission in Baku has ended and a new ambassador will be sent to Azerbaijan. The Tasnim News Agency, close to intelligence agencies, reported on Thursday, April 9, that the presence of a hijab-less Azerbaijani journalist inside the Iranian embassy in Baku was considered 'an insult to relations within the territory of Iran' and called for Abbas Mousavi to resign from his position. Relations between Tehran and Baku soured following an armed attack by an Iranian citizen on the Azerbaijani embassy, which resulted in the death of an embassy guard. In May of this year, Iranian news agencies reported that four Azerbaijani diplomats in Tehran and Tabriz were expelled 'last month.' According to the Islamic Republic's state news agency, IRNA, these four were expelled from Iran 'as undesirable elements.' The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry had summoned the Islamic Republic's ambassador a month prior, in mid-April, informing him that four diplomats from the Iranian embassy in Baku were recognized as 'undesirable elements' and must leave the country within 48 hours. The interview of the Islamic Republic's ambassador in Baku with a 'hijab-less' journalist caused controversy; Abbas Mousavi is returning to Iran. Eli Cohen: The Islamic Republic is involved in a plot to attack the Israeli embassy in Baku. Kanani's response to Baku's warning for its citizens traveling to Iran: 'Scare your people about Israel.' Azerbaijani officials have arrested at least nine people on suspicion of connections to the Islamic Republic. Iran claims it expelled 'last month' four Azerbaijani diplomats. Aliyev states that predicting the future of relations between Iran and Azerbaijan is very complex. Sources from the Azerbaijani Ministry of Interior: '20 local agents' of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence have been arrested.