Azerbaijan Reopens Border with Iran Following Brief Closure After Nakhchivan Drone Incident

The government of Azerbaijan recently released a statement that the country has decided to reopen their border with Iran to all types of freight transport from Monday (March 9th, 2026).

The border was previously closed on March 5th after the drone attack on the Nakhchivan International Airport.

The Nakchivan Airport incident

On March 5th, a drone launched from Iranian territory crashed into the airport building and another exploded near a school in the Shakarabad village of Babek leading to 4 civilian injuries.

Following the incident the Cabinet of Ministers temporarily closed the border with Iran. Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, “One drone struck the terminal building of the airport in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, while another drone fell near a school building in the village of Shakarabad,” the ministry said. “We strongly condemn these drone attacks launched from the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” they added.

Azerbaijani officials had classified the drone attacks as a "terrorist act," prompting a directive for the military to coordinate possible retaliatory actions.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Azerbaijan, Mojtaba Dermichilou was also summoned by the ministry in the matter.

Turkey, which has been a close ally of Azerbaijan, too, released a statement condemning the attack saying, “Turkiye will continue to stand by Azerbaijan in the future, as it has always done.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, however, dismissed the allegations, asserting that Iran was not involved and alleging that Israel orchestrated the strike to implicate Tehran.

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