Azerbaijani authorities issued an official protest after an Iranian military flight allegedly violated the country’s airspace. 

On March 11, 2023, the unidentified aircraft flew for half an hour along the Azerbaijan-Iran state border between the Zangilan and Bilasuvar districts, according to a joint statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 

“The plane flew between the two countries at a distance of 3-5 km from the state border, and in some cases over the state border,” the authorities said. “We strongly condemn the Iranian side for such a provocative step, urge them to provide an appropriate explanation, and refrain from such confrontational steps in the future.” 

Consequently, the Ambassador of Iran to Azerbaijan, Seyyed Abbas Mousavi, was summoned to the foreign ministry of Azerbaijan and presented with a formal protest. The Azerbaijani government called upon the Iranian authorities to explain the reasons for this flight.