Baku Has Officially Filed a Complaint Against Iran: Tehran Confirms
A new wave of tension has emerged between Azerbaijan and Iran. On January 1, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs filed a complaint with Seyyed Jafar Aghaei Mariani, the chargé d’affaires of Iran’s embassy in Baku.
The complaint was triggered by remarks made on December 29 by Seyyed Hassan Ameli, the representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in Ardabil Province and imam of Ardabil’s Juma Mosque, these remarks, broadcast on Tehran’s “News Network” television channel, included anti-Azerbaijani statements.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s protest was related to unthoughtful and inappropriate statements made by an individual during a ceremonial event in one of our country’s northwestern cities. Such remarks have no connection to the official stance of the Iranian government, – said Mojtaba Demirchilou, assistant to Iran’s Foreign Minister and head of the Ministry’s Eurasian Department, in a statement to IRNA.
He added that Iran’s fundamental policy is “to maximize the expansion of friendly relations with neighboring states, particularly Azerbaijan,” emphasizing the deep historical, cultural, and religious ties between the two countries.
This is not the first disagreement between the two nations. In 2023, both countries lodged complaints against each other, exchanging mutual accusations through various state media outlets.