Azerbaijan announces foiling of terrorist plot: representatives of Iran's Quds Force detained
The State Security Service of Azerbaijan reported that it had uncovered and prevented terrorist provocations and intelligence gathering, which, according to the investigation, were linked to Iran.
This was reported by the AZERTAC agency and the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Facebook.
According to the investigation, possible targets of the attacks included the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the Israeli embassy in Azerbaijan, one of the leaders of the local Jewish community, and the Ashkenazi synagogue.
According to Azerbaijani law enforcement, the organisers planned to cause panic among the population and damage the country's international reputation.
As part of the operation, the special services discovered three explosive devices that had been brought into Azerbaijan. The explosives were defused.
On the same day, four people were detained whom the Azerbaijani authorities describe as representatives of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran's elite military formation. According to the investigation, they may have been involved in preparing the provocations.
Escalation after the drone incident
Tensions between the countries escalated after a drone attacked the airport in Nakhchivan on 5 March.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry confirmed the strike and reported that two people were injured. After the incident, Iranian diplomat Mojtaba Dermechil was summoned to the ministry, where he was handed a note of protest.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi denied Tehran's involvement in the drone attack and called for a thorough investigation.
Azerbaijan's reaction
According to OC Media, after the incident, the Azerbaijani authorities increased the combat readiness of the army, deployed troops near the border with Iran and strengthened air defence systems, in particular, means of combating drones.
All leave for military personnel was cancelled, and those who were on leave were called back to duty.
In addition, the Azerbaijani authorities closed the airspace in the southern sector of the Baku region, which borders Iran, for 12 hours.
Commenting on the drone attack on the international airport in Nakhchivan, President Ilham Aliyev called it "cowardly shelling" and a "despicable terrorist act." At the same time, he stressed that Azerbaijan does not plan to wage war against Iran.
