Auch Irans nördliche Nachbarn sind mit den Folgen des Krieges konfrontiert

*[Excerpt from Zaur Shiriyev’s commentary in Carnegie’s Emissary]*

As U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran enter their third week, the shockwaves are already racing across its northern frontier, placing Armenia and Azerbaijan on the front line of regional instability.

In Azerbaijan, the consequences have already been tangible. On March 5, a drone launched from Iranian territory [hit the airport and a school](https://apnews.com/article/azerbaijan-iran-drone-war-airport-neighbor-34ab541f4bee87337f35e44b9e3fece6) in its exclave of Nakhchivan, a day after the Azerbaijani president had [visited](https://president.az/en/articles/view/71771) the Iranian embassy in Baku to offer condolences for the death of the Iranian supreme leader. The incident quickly triggered a sharp escalation in rhetoric on both sides: Baku signaled readiness for a retaliatory response, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned of a broader reaction. Yet the crisis de-escalated almost as quickly, after a direct conversation between the Iranian and Azerbaijani presidents. Iran has long expressed concern over Azerbaijan’s close security ties with Israel, which could be cited as a pretext for such actions, though the motive remains unclear.