Iran appeals: Our defense cannot be construed as hostility

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Bagei said on Monday that Iran's armed forces did not attack Azerbaijan, Turkey or Cyprus, Iran's SNN news agency reported.

According to the spokesman, Iran's defense actions “should under no circumstances be interpreted as hostility towards any country in the region.” He added that the general staff of the armed forces “clearly and officially announced that (…) the attacks were not carried out from Iranian territory or by our armed forces.”

Bagei spoke out following accusations by Azerbaijani authorities that four drones had entered the country's territory, struck an airport terminal and exploded near a school, injuring civilians. President Ilham Aliyev called the incident an “act of terror”, demanded explanations and apologies from the authorities in Tehran, and ordered the withdrawal of Azerbaijani diplomatic staff from Iran, recalled the Iran International website.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi also denied that Iranian forces fired drones towards Azerbaijan.

Last week, the Cypriot authorities also reported a drone attack on the British air base on the island. According to the authorities in Nicosia, this attack was most likely carried out by the pro-Iranian Hezbollah, and not directly by Iran.

The Turkish government announced on Thursday that NATO air defense intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile that entered Turkish airspace. Ankara lodged a protest in Tehran and announced that it had sent six F-16 fighters and air defense systems to the northern part of Cyprus in order – as the Ministry of Defense said – to “increase the security of the Turkish Cypriot community” in the face of the US and Israel's war with Iran.

The island of Cyprus is divided into the Republic of Cyprus, a member of the European Union, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, internationally recognized only by Turkey. (PAP)

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