Terrorist attack on Azerbaijani embassy in Iran – attempt to impede normalization process in S. Caucasus – foreign experts

BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 31. Foreign experts
and journalists regard the terrorist attack on the Azerbaijani
embassy in Iran as an attempt to impede the normalization process
in the South Caucasus, the Azerbaijani State Committee on Work with
Diaspora told Trend.

UK journalist and expert Nell Watson, CEO of the Dona Gracia
Center for Diplomacy Rachel Avraham, Director of the International
Council for Diplomacy and Dialogue in France Eric Gozlan, President
of ABRAJINTER (Brazilian Association of Journalists and
Comunicators in the International and Diplomatic Area Fabiana
Ceyhan rebuked this terrorist act and expressed condolences to the
family of Senior Lieutenant Orkhan Asqarov, who died while ensuring
the embassy’s security on January 27, 2023.

Nell Watson believes that Iran is against any prospects of
normalizing Azerbaijan-Armenia relations, as this will make
Azerbaijan even stronger in the region. The Iranian regime opposes
the Azerbaijan-Türkiye alliance and strong Azerbaijan-Israel ties
as well.

“Iran doesn’t respect international laws and organizations,” he
added.

Avraham noted that this brutal attack is yet another example of
Iran being a patron of terrorism.

“Iran attacked the US embassy in 1979, the Israeli embassy in
Argentina in 1992, and the Azerbaijani embassy in 2023,” she
stated.

Gozlan, in his turn, noted that those who have no arguments and
refuse peace resort to terror.

He added that some people do not want peace in the Caucasus, and
this incident, first of all, indicates the participation of Iran in
this.

An armed attack took place at the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Iran
on January 27, 2023, at about 8:30 (GMT+4). The gunman turned out
to be a man in his 50’s, who drove up to the administrative
building, armed with a Kalashnikov automatic rifle.

Earlier reports from the Chief of Tehran police said there were
two children in the car with the gunman, the security camera footage released later
proved the man was alone. He entered the building after briefly
waving hand to the Iranian security guard outside. No attempts were
made to detain the gunman, as he freely entered the embassy. The
man managed to kill head of the security service and wounding two
embassy guards. The shooter was eventually detained. The incident
is currently being investigated.

Following the deadly assault, Azerbaijan evacuated its officials
from the embassy, including those who suffered as a result of the
attack and completely suspended the work of the embassy in
Tehran.