The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it will evacuate today the employees of its embassy in Iran and members of their families, two days following an attack by an armed man that killed a security guard and wounded two others, which Baku described as a “terrorist act.”
And the police in Tehran announced the arrest of a person suspected of being linked to the attack that took place on Friday, and the Iranian authorities condemned them, but stated that the motives of the gunman appeared to be personal rather than political.
The attack occurred amid growing tensions between the two neighbors over Iran’s treatment of its large Azeri minority, and over Azerbaijan’s decision this month to appoint its first-ever ambassador to Israel.
And the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced following the attack that it had summoned the Iranian ambassador in Baku to demand justice, and announced its intention to evacuate the embassy staff from Tehran. It did not elaborate on any other details, including whether the embassy would continue to operate.
The ministry said earlier that “the shooting was a result of Tehran’s failure to respond to its demands to enhance security.”
Videos captured by surveillance cameras showed the attacker storming the embassy building and shooting two men before a third employee at the embassy controlled him.
Later, Iranian state television showed a gray-haired man said to be the attacker. The man said he was acting with the aim of releasing his Azerbaijani wife, who he believed was being held at the embassy. A young woman, who was identified as the man’s daughter, explained that her mother was in Azerbaijan.
State media reported that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi called for a “comprehensive investigation” into the attack and sent condolences to Azerbaijan and the family of the dead man.
