WANA (Jun 26) – Masoud Pezeshkian, in a phone call with his Azerbaijani counterpart, called for investigation and verification of reports regarding incursions by Israeli drones and micro-UAVs into Iranian airspace through the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

 

On Thursday morning, President Masoud Pezeshkian held a telephone conversation with Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

 

During the call, President Pezeshkian, referring to the Israeli regime’s aggression against Iran, stated:

 

“We have never initiated any war and never will. It was the Israeli regime that, in violation of international law, attacked Iran. According to international rules, even during wartime, attacks on nuclear facilities are prohibited and considered crimes against humanity.”

 

Pezeshkian added, “In this war, our commanders, scientists, and innocent civilians were martyred. Many of our civilian and residential areas were bombed, yet despite convening a meeting, the United Nations did not condemn these arbitrary aggressions and the killing of our people.”

 

The President further emphasized: “These aggressions occurred while we were engaged in negotiations, seeking to resolve issues through dialogue. We believed disputes must be settled within the framework of international regulations. The American representative in the talks had told us that the Israeli regime would not act against the Islamic Republic of Iran without U.S. permission — but that statement turned out to be false. The Israelis attacked just before the sixth round of negotiations, which then collapsed.”

 

Pezeshkian also addressed the United States’ double standards, stating: “The U.S. claimed it had no role in starting the war, yet on the eighth day, it bombed our nuclear facilities. Reluctantly, we were compelled to respond by targeting one of the U.S. bases in the region — specifically in our friendly and brotherly country of Qatar. In a phone call with the Emir of Qatar, I explained that the strike was directed solely at the American base, and the Islamic Republic of Iran has never had — and will never have — any intention to violate the territorial integrity of its neighboring friends.”

 

The President highlighted Iran’s principled policy of friendly interaction with its neighbors, noting: “In recent days, I have spoken with leaders of neighboring countries and reaffirmed that the Islamic Republic of Iran seeks peace and stability in the region, and respects the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of all its neighbors. I declare that we are friends with the people of Azerbaijan, we have close ties, and our solidarity with the government and people of Azerbaijan is deep and unbreakable. I hope our countries’ relations and cooperation grow stronger, enabling our peoples to be more connected and engaged.”

 

Pezeshkian, expressing appreciation for the solidarity and support of the Azerbaijani government and people toward the Islamic Republic of Iran, called for a thorough investigation and verification of reports about Israeli drone and micro-UAV incursions into Iranian airspace via Azerbaijani territory.

 

In response, the President of Azerbaijan expressed regret over the Israeli regime’s aggressive attack on Iran and the killing of innocent civilians during those strikes. He welcomed and expressed satisfaction over the establishment of a ceasefire.

 

Ilham Aliyev, emphasizing respect for Iran’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty, said: “From the outset of these aggressions, the Republic of Azerbaijan — through its Foreign Minister — condemned the attacks and asserted that we would not allow our airspace to be used against the Islamic Republic of Iran. We maintain full control over our skies.”

 

He denied rumors about the Israeli regime using Azerbaijani airspace for attacks on Iran and stated: “The government of Azerbaijan will in no way permit its airspace to be used against our friendly and brotherly country, the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

 

Aliyev reaffirmed his country’s willingness to expand relations with Iran in all areas, stating: “We seek deeper and broader cooperation with Iran in various fields — economic, political, and security-related. In this regard, as Russian officials involved in the implementation of the North-South Corridor project will be in Baku in the coming days, I ask that a delegation from Iran also be sent to participate in trilateral meetings.”

 

He also extended an invitation to President Pezeshkian to attend the upcoming ECO summit hosted in Azerbaijan.