Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry Summons Iranian Charge D'affaires

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday summoned Iran’s Charge d'Affaires Seyyed Jafar Aghayi Marian to address a strong protest against a recent anti-Azerbaijani media campaign in Iran.

The Azerbaijani authorities expressed concern over media coverage targeting Azerbaijan and its leadership, particularly from outlets linked to the Iranian government, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, The Caspian Post reports.

"The timing of the campaign raised additional questions, coming shortly after the positive 16th meeting of the "State Commission on Economic, Trade, and Humanitarian Cooperation" between Azerbaijan and Iran in Tehran. Despite positive diplomatic exchanges and agreements, the Azerbaijani authorities expressed confusion over the subsequent summons of Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Iran by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was perceived as an unjustified action against Azerbaijan," the statement said.

The meeting also addressed inflammatory remarks made by Seyed Hassan Ameli, the Imam of Friday Prayer (Imam Juma) in Ardabil, during a public meeting in the city. Instead of apologising for his offensive statements regarding Azerbaijan, a campaign supporting Ameli was launched. Furthermore, the involvement of other religious leaders, including the Imam of Friday Prayer in Qazvin, in the anti-Azerbaijani rhetoric was strongly condemned by Azerbaijani officials.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry stressed that such actions, aimed at undermining the relations between the two countries, were unacceptable and must be prevented. In response, Seyyed Jafar Aghayi Marian expressed regret for the unpleasant statements and actions, assuring that he would convey the issue to the relevant authorities in Iran.