Azerbaijan summons Iranian ambassador over embassy attack in Tehran

ISTANBUL (AA) – Azerbaijan on Friday summoned Iran’s ambassador in Baku following an armed attack on the Azerbaijan Embassy in Tehran, which killed the security chief of the diplomatic post and wounded two others.

The Foreign Ministry in a statement condemned the “armed terror attack” against Azerbaijan’s Embassy in the Iranian capital.

The ministry told Ambassador Abbas Mousavi that such attacks against diplomatic missions are “unacceptable” and based on the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the embassy building should be protected from any kind of attack and the security of its personnel should be ensured.

It added that Baku demanded the Iranian authorities to “immediately bring the person responsible for the act of terror to justice, thoroughly investigate the act of terror, identify and punish other participants involved in the organization of the crime and the commission of the act.”

According to the statement, Iran expressed its regrets over the planned anti-Azerbaijan campaign during recent years, which further aggravated the already complicated relations.

For his part, Iran’s Mousavi expressed his deep regret for the incident, the statement said, adding he conveyed his condolences to the family of the embassy staff, as well as the government and people of Azerbaijan.

Mousavi added that an investigation is currently underway by the relevant law enforcement agencies and that detailed information will be disclosed publicly after the probe is completed.

An armed assailant stormed the Azerbaijan Embassy in Tehran on Friday morning with an automatic weapon, officials said.

The incident took place at around 8.30 a.m. local time (0500GMT) when the armed man opened fire at the picket of embassy guards in northern Tehran, according to local sources.

The attacker was immediately arrested by security forces, Tehran’s police chief Hossein Rahimi told reporters at the scene of the incident, confirming the death of one person.