The official visit of the President of Iran to Azerbaijan has begun. Even before departing for Baku, Masoud Pezeshkian stated that there are good opportunities, conditions, and potential for cooperation with Azerbaijan. The two sides will discuss trade, science, economy, and transit corridors connecting Iran, Azerbaijan, and Russia.
“Iran and Azerbaijan have deep historical and cultural ties, and I hope these visits will contribute to the development and progress of our country in all areas, as well as allow us to exchange experiences. We hope that during this visit, we can share expertise and engage in joint investments in trade and the economy. We have already invested in joint transit corridors and hope that these ties and friendly relations will lead to the growth and development of both countries,” Iranian media quoted President Pezeshkian as saying.
However, perhaps just as significant is another piece of news that emerged right on the eve of Pezeshkian’s visit to Baku. As reported by Asghar Jahangiri, spokesperson for Iran’s judiciary, Iran is ready to punish the individual responsible for the attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran. According to him, all legal procedures necessary to enforce the sentence against Yasin Huseinzadeh, who attacked the Azerbaijani embassy, have been completed, and throughout the trial, the rights of the deceased and his family were fully respected, with their legal demands taken into account. Tehran again emphasized that the judiciary representatives had noted that Iran had implemented additional security measures for the Azerbaijani embassy and had taken steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
To recall: the attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Iran’s capital occurred on January 27, 2023. That morning, Yasin Huseinzadeh, armed with an assault rifle, broke through the first security post (where the Iranian police officer on duty at the embassy gate did not attempt to stop him) and opened fire. As a result, one Azerbaijani embassy employee was killed, and two others were wounded.
Subsequent developments are also well known: Azerbaijan closed its embassy in Tehran, classified the attack on the diplomatic mission as a terrorist act, held Iranian authorities responsible, and demanded a full investigation and appropriate measures to ensure the safety of its embassy. Over the past two years, while the situation has not been entirely resolved, significant progress has been made. The Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran has resumed operations, and agreements on security measures have been reached. However, the issue of holding Yasin Huseinzadeh accountable remained unresolved.
In Baku, there was rightful outrage that immediately after his arrest, Huseinzadeh was allowed to speak to TV journalists, that attempts were made to absolve him of responsibility, and claims were floated suggesting he acted under emotional distress, allegedly “searching for his runaway wife,” and so on. Eventually, Huseinzadeh was sentenced to death. Now, just ahead of Pezeshkian’s visit, Iranian authorities have announced that all formalities have been completed, and there are no longer any obstacles to carrying out the sentence.
We will refrain from sarcastically speculating on how much time will actually pass between this announcement and the terrorist’s execution. Instead, let’s note something else.
Pezeshkian’s visit begins against a rather troubling backdrop for Iran. New U.S. President Donald Trump has made no secret of his intentions to confront Iran’s “mullocracy.” Analysts have even discussed the possible preparation of a new U.S. military operation against Iran. Essentially, Washington has issued Tehran an ultimatum. While negotiations are ongoing, the terms set for Iran are extremely tough. Against this backdrop, Iran simply cannot afford additional tensions with Azerbaijan.
The situation here is at least ambiguous. On the one hand, there are centuries-old historical ties, mutual interest in good neighborly relations, and joint transport and logistics projects — from the “North-South” corridor to the “Iranian corridor,” which could become an alternative to the Zangezur corridor.
But on the other hand, nobody has forgotten Iran’s military exercises with offensive scenarios near Azerbaijan’s borders, anti-Azerbaijani statements by representatives of the “mullocracy,” or the provocations by Iranian intelligence services on Azerbaijani territory.
The election victory of Masoud Pezeshkian — an ethnic Azerbaijani who publicly recites Shahriyar’s poetry in Azerbaijani — and especially his visit to Baku and talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, present a valuable opportunity to “untie the knots” and elevate Azerbaijan-Iran cooperation and neighborly relations to a new level.
Azerbaijan has repeatedly emphasized that it has always supported good neighborly relations and cooperation. Moreover, Azerbaijan has made clear that it will not allow its territory to be used as a platform for anti-Iranian actions. However, much will depend on the position Tehran ultimately takes.
Nurani
