Azerbaijan accuses Iran of preparing terrorist attacks on Azerbaijani territory - media

The State Security Service (SSS) of Azerbaijan announced the prevention of a series of terrorist attacks that were being prepared by Iranian special services on the territory of the country.

According to the SSS, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was responsible for organizing the sabotage, but these plans were revealed during a complex of counterintelligence measures, The Moscow Times reports.

According to the agency, the attackers' targets were strategically important facilities and representatives of religious communities. Potential targets of the attack include the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the Israeli embassy, ​​an Ashkenazi synagogue and one of the leaders of the Mountain Jewish community.

According to the SSS, three explosive devices were imported into the country, but the special services managed to prevent their transfer to the perpetrators.

The statement came against the backdrop of a sharp aggravation of Azerbaijani-Iranian relations. A day earlier, on March 5, two Iranian drones attacked Nakhchivan: one hit the international airport building, the other fell near a school.

As a result, two people were injured. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry called the attack a gross violation of international law, demanded an investigation and guarantees to prevent similar incidents. The Iranian ambassador was summoned to deliver a note of protest.

In response to the attack, President Ilham Aliyev announced mobilization No. 1: the armed forces are brought to full combat readiness, reservists are being called up, and units are being deployed to combat positions. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry stressed that such attacks "will not go unanswered."

Earlier, Aliyev personally visited the Iranian embassy in Baku to express condolences over the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a result of US-Israeli strikes.

At the same time, as the Financial Times reported, even before the start of the US and Israeli military operation in the Middle East, an escalation plan was developed in Iran, which involves striking energy facilities in neighboring countries to create chaos in the region and put pressure on the West.