Baku confirms Iran helicopters breached air space

Azerbaijani officials have confirmed media reports saying Iranian war helicopters entered Azerbaijan’s air space and briefly flew over the southern town of Astara on Thursday.

“Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov is currently in Iran and the issue will be raised there,” the State Border Service chief Elchin Guliyev told the press Monday. He said that a host of helicopters accompanying the Iranian president on his visit to the borderline regions indeed made several circles over Azerbaijani territory in the morning hours on February 22.

“This means that Azerbaijan’s air space was violated. The Iranian border commissioner was immediately invited to a meeting and we expressed our protest verbally. About 5 minutes later, the military attache of the Iranian embassy in Baku, Javan Baht, was informed of the matter by the Border Service representatives. He was then requested to investigate the matter and provide an explanation.”

Guliyev added that on the same day, the Border Service prepared official feedback and forwarded it to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

The helicopters, which were not identified as those of the Azerbaijani Air Force, hovered over the buildings of the mayor’s office and other government agencies, causing local residents to panic, an eyewitness told Radio Liberty.

The Iranian embassy earlier said the flight had been agreed with Baku and that Iranian helicopters did not violate Azerbaijan’s air space.*