“No one doubts the inevitability of the position and firm reaction of President Ilham Aliyev, as well as the entire Azerbaijani state and society, regarding Iran’s strike on Nakhchivan with UAVs,” said public figure and lawyer Gulamhuseyn Alibeyli in an interview with Medianews.az.
G. Alibeyli stated: “It was not the first time that the Iranian regime carried out such provocations and terrorist acts against the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Iranian regime has repeatedly violated Azerbaijan’s air and water space. Even during the 44-day Patriotic War, it attempted to violate Azerbaijan’s land borders. It conducted military exercises near Azerbaijan’s borders and repeatedly emphasized that Armenia is its red line. It organized a terrorist attack against Azerbaijan’s embassy in Tehran. Iran openly opposes the Zangezur corridor, perceiving the Turkey-Azerbaijan unity and, in general, the integration of the Turkic world as a threat. Iranian officials have repeatedly declared the necessity of conducting military operations against Azerbaijan.”
According to G. Alibeyli, Iran’s strike on Nakhchivan, even targeting civilian objects with UAVs, is a visible indicator that Iranian officials have moved from threats to actual operations: “This attack is rightly assessed as the result of the years-long hostile attitude of the Iranian regime towards Azerbaijan, as well as the next attempt against Azerbaijan’s national security, territorial integrity, and state sovereignty.
Therefore, the firm reaction of our state and society to Iran’s attack on Nakhchivan is completely understandable. It is commendable that almost all political forces in Azerbaijan expressed a stance from nearly the same position on this issue. The condemnation of this attack by most states should also be seen as the success of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy and confirmation of its transformation into a key participant in the international relations system.
The joint reaction of the Azerbaijani state and society, including the political community, to Iran’s terrorism demonstrated that no one can negotiate with Azerbaijan through threats, force, provocations, or terror. Despite all internal dissent, we can show national unity against external threats to our country’s national security, territorial integrity, and state sovereignty.”