The military escalation in the Middle East reached a new geographical dimension on Friday. Following sustained airstrikes by the US and Israel against targets on Iranian territory, Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks on strategic infrastructure in neighboring countries.
This time, the affected airport is Razi in the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan, which borders Iran. According to official Azerbaijani authorities, several combat drones crashed into the airport, severely damaging the passenger terminal. Two ground staff members were injured in the explosions and taken to nearby hospitals.
The attack on Razi Airport is the latest in a series of targeted attacks by Iran against air traffic hubs in the region. Tehran justifies these strikes as retaliation against states accused of providing logistical support to US or Israeli air forces. Regional security experts point out that Nakhchivan, due to its isolated location between Armenia, Turkey, and Iran, is a particularly vulnerable target. Similar incidents have already occurred at airports in northern Iraq and Kuwait in recent days, underscoring the volatile security situation in the Persian Gulf and the Caucasus.
The immediate consequences for civil aviation are massive. Several international airlines have closed their airspace over Azerbaijan and the border region with Iran with immediate effect. This is leading to extensive detours, which are significantly delaying air traffic between Europe and Central Asia. Razi Airport has been closed to civilian operations until further notice. Security analysts fear that the escalation of attacks on Azerbaijani territory could lead to a further diplomatic crisis, given Azerbaijan's close military ties with Israel and its role as a major energy supplier to the West.
The Azerbaijani government strongly condemned the shelling and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. In Tehran, however, the strategy of "all-out attacks" is being defended as a means of increasing deterrence against its Western allies. The international community is watching with concern as civilian transport infrastructure increasingly becomes the primary target of military conflict. De-escalation does not appear to be in sight at present, as all parties to the conflict have signaled their willingness to launch further attacks, jeopardizing the stability of the entire region between the Caucasus and the Gulf.