Teheran: Iran’s army is to hold maneuvers near the Azerbaijan border from Friday, state media announced, despite strong criticism from Baku.
“The maneuvers scheduled to start on Friday will involve armored units as well as artillery, drones and military helicopters,” the army’s ground forces commander General Kioumars Heydari told the official IRNA news agency.
Heydari said they were “combat readiness exercises for the ground forces in this region,” but gave no details of where they would be held or how long they would last.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had criticized Tehran over the drills, calling them “a very surprising event”.
“Every country can carry out any military drill on its own territory. It’s their sovereign right. But why now, and why on our border?” he said in an interview with Turkish news agency Anadolu published on Monday.
His comments were quickly rebuffed by Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh.
“The drills carried out by our country in the northwest border areas… are a question of sovereignty,” Khatibzadeh said in a statement on the ministry website.
He also took a dig at Azerbaijan’s close relations with Iran’s arch-foe Israel. “Iran will not tolerate the presence of the Zionist regime near our borders,” he said.
A major supplier of arms to Azerbaijan, Israel came under diplomatic fire from Armenia during last year’s conflict between the Caucasus neighbors.
Iran and Azerbaijan share a border of around 700 kilometers (430 miles).
Ethnic Azeris make up around 10 million of Iran’s 83 million people.
Iran to hold war games near Azerbaijan border amid criticism from Baku
- Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had criticized Tehran over the drills, calling them "a very surprising event".
- Iran has called the drills a "question of sovereignty".
Today's Headlines
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
The Gulf country is setting a new benchmark for supporting working mothers by doubling the mandated maternity leave to 120 days, Kathryn Martin VFS Global tell TRENDS.
The Fourth of July is a sacred day in our country. A day of history, of hope, remembrance and resolve with promise and possibilities. Before me stands monuments of the…
The government would provide thirty-five percent of the investments The rest of it, sixty-five percent, will come from the private sector Saudi Arabia expects to generate $150 billion from investments…
PwC forecasts that AI could contribute US$320 billion to Middle Eastern economies by 2030, with healthcare predicted to see some of the largest gains relative to its current size
The region, fueled by ambition and massive investment, is rapidly advancing in technology and infrastructure, aiming to secure a leading role in the 4IR.