Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov held a phone call on Monday with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, amid rising tensions across the Middle East.
During the phone call, the two diplomats voiced deep concern over the escalating situation and stressed the need to intensify diplomatic efforts to swiftly halt ongoing military clashes, according to Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry.
They also discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, the ministry said in a statement.
The region has been on alert since the US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, killing more than 1,340 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and infrastructure damage while disrupting global markets and aviation.
The Israel-US war on Iran has drawn concern from neighbouring states, with fears of spillover into the South Caucasus as Azerbaijan seeks to balance its strategic partnerships while avoiding direct involvement in the wider conflict.
In a mid-March phone call, Bayramov and Araghchi discussed bilateral ties and stressed the need for close consultations to prevent misunderstandings amid the current situation.
Bilateral ties between Baku and Tehran remain delicate following Iranian drone strikes on Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave on March 5, which injured several people and prompted diplomatic protests.
