Tazeen Akhtar / Islamabad
The government of Azerbaijan has taken strict notice of the attack on the Embassy in Tehran on 27 Jan morning by a gunman who shot the security head First Lt. Orkhan Rivan dead and injured two guards before he was controlled by the injured staff and handed over to Tehran Police for further investigation. Irani authorities claim it was “Personally Motivated” attack. Azerbaijan criticizes Irani side for not taking threats to the Embassy seriously about which the local authorities were informed many times. President Ilham Aliyev called it a “terrorist act” and demanded a swift investigation. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said that Iran had failed to address threats against the embassy in the past and that it would evacuate its entire mission from Tehran.
Irani side claims that the police moved quickly to arrest the gunman but the cctv footage shows the man with a rifle walking through the gate into the embassy freely while the staff is running to save their lives. At a point one staff member grabs the gunmen.
President Ilham Aliyev, said in a statement posted to Twitter, “I fiercely condemn the terrorist attack perpetrated against our embassy in Tehran today”.
Pakistan government and people have expressed their feelings of sadness on the attack and condoled to the bereaved families. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan said, ” Gov and people of Pakistan are deeply saddened by attack at Embassy of Azerbaijan. We stand in solidarity with brotherly people of Azerbaijan in this moment of grief.”
The Foreign Ministry of Turkey, said in a statement that it “deeply shares the pain of the Azerbaijani people” as it too has been targeted by “similar attacks in the past.” The statement added: “It is very important that those responsible for this heinous attack should be immediately apprehended and brought to justice.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman, Nasser Kanani, said in a televised statement, “The police took action immediately and arrested the attacker, who is now under investigation, an investigation would be carried out with the highest priority and sensitivity until the details and scope of the attacker’s motivation become clear.”
At the same time, He strongly condemned armed attack and extended condolences to and expressed sympathy with Azerbaijan’s government & nation and the family of the embassy’s staff.
Gen. Hossein Rahimi, the Iranian chief of police, said in a statement on Iranian television that the attack might have been personally motivated, according to the semiofficial news agency Tasnim. The general added that the gunman had entered the embassy with two young children. But in the footage the gunman is alone and no kids are around.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, ” There have been attempts to threaten our diplomatic mission in Iran before but unfortunately, this latest bloody terrorist attack demonstrates the serious consequences of not showing proper sensitivity to our urgent appeals in this direction.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian held a press conference along with Ambassador of Azerbaijan Mr. Ali Alizada in Tehran. He assured thorough investigation into the attack and provide complete security to the staff in future.
Irani FM said the shooting at the entrance of #Azerbaijan embassy in Tehran “has NOT been an act of terrorism or an organized operation, but based on personal motive & regarding the situation of the assailant’s wife”, adding “security services of both countries met this evening”
Mr. Ali Alizada said, “We see these events as terrorist events because these events were unforeseen with regards to the relations of the two countries. We are deeply regretful of this event”
Ambassador Ali Alizada, in a tweet, said “As a result of the armed attack on our Embassy today,our valued employee was killed while defending Embassy & staff,and 2 of our employees were injured. Rest in peace! We strongly condemn this cruel act of terrorism and demand full punishment of the perpetrators.”
Iran and Azerbaijan are neighboring countries with a history of tensions. Most recently , Iran supported Armenia the arch rival of Azerbaijan in the second Karabakh War in which Azerbaijan emerged victorious liberating its occupied lands from Armenia. Armenian first lady was in Iran only few days ago. This attack and then the statements of Irani authorities and the response of Azerbaijan government clearly show the revival of already present but controlled tensions between the two neighbors growing to new escalation in which diplomatic relations can be disconnected at any time.
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