Iranian news agencies reported on Friday 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 as 'undesirable elements'. A month ago, in mid-April, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Islamic Republic's ambassador and informed him that four Iranian diplomats in Baku were recognized as 'undesirable elements' and had to leave the country within 48 hours. Concurrently with the expulsion of the Iranian embassy diplomats, Azerbaijan arrested six individuals whom it claimed were 'hired by the Iranian intelligence agency to destabilize the situation in the country'. Relations between Iran and Azerbaijan soured in Bahman after an armed attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran, which resulted in the death of an embassy guard. An assassination attempt on a critic of the Islamic Republic in the Azerbaijani parliament also fueled tensions between the two countries. Fazil Mustafa, an Azerbaijani MP, had called the Islamic Republic of Iran a 'terrorist country'. He was shot at by unknown assailants outside his home. The AP news network attributed the assassination of the Azerbaijani MP to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Other reasons for the escalating tensions between Iran and Azerbaijan include the improvement of Baku's relations with Israel and the opening of an Azerbaijani embassy in that country. The Iranian Foreign Ministry described the resumption of relations between Azerbaijan and Israel as 'anti-Iranian'. Sahiba Gafarova, the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament, stated, 'Having relations with any country is solely our concern and has nothing to do with Iranian officials.' Azerbaijan also accuses Tehran of supporting Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Islamic Republic has denied this accusation. Aliyev stated that predicting the future of relations between Iran and Azerbaijan is very complex. Azerbaijan claims to have arrested sixteen spies linked to Iran, and sources from the Azerbaijani Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that '20 local agents' of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence were arrested.
Iran Says It Expelled Four Azerbaijani Diplomats Last Month
Iran expelled four Azerbaijani diplomats last month, labeling them as undesirable elements, while Azerbaijan responded by expelling Iranian diplomats and arresting individuals accused of Iranian espionage. This incident highlights the deteriorating relations between the two countries, exacerbated by recent tensions over regional conflicts and diplomatic ties with Israel.
👥 Key Players
⚡ Actions
📰 What Happened
Iran expelled four Azerbaijani diplomats as tensions escalate between the two nations.
- Iran expel Azerbaijani diplomats
- Azerbaijan arrest six individuals
- Azerbaijan summon Iranian ambassador
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The expulsion of diplomats marks a significant escalation in Iran-Azerbaijan relations.
📝 Key Evidence
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%