By Syed Zafar Mehdi
TEHRAN, Iran (AA) - Iran launched a joint military drill Sunday in northwestern Ardabil province with Azerbaijan amid an easing of tensions and improving relations between the two countries.
The four-day Aras Joint Exercise is taking place in Aslan Duz District near the Azerbaijan border, according to a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Special forces of the IRGC are participating in the drill along with the special forces of the Azerbaijani Army, signaling increased defense cooperation between the two sides.
The IRGC’s statement emphasized that the purpose of the exercise is to "strengthen bilateral relations, collaborate in combating organized illegal armed groups, ensure the security of shared borders, enhance military capabilities and expand defense cooperation at tactical and operational levels" between Tehran and Baku.
Earlier Sunday, a high-ranking Azerbaijani military delegation was received at the Bileh Savar Border Terminal in Ardabil by senior IRGC officials from the province.
During the visit, the Azerbaijani delegation expressed its readiness to take part in more joint exercises aimed at countering "border threats," the IRGC statement added.
The joint drill Sunday follows a two-day naval exercise in the Caspian Sea held less than a month ago in which the Iranian Navy hosted Azerbaijani forces.
The naval exercise, held in northwestern Iran and dubbed AZIREX-2024, featured the Iranian destroyer Deylaman alongside two Azerbaijani vessels under the slogan "Cooperation for Peace and Friendship."
Diplomatic ties between Iran and Azerbaijan had been strained since January 2023 after an attack by a gunman on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran killed one diplomat.
The incident led Baku to close its embassy and evacuate its staff from Iran.
Following extensive negotiations, the embassy reopened in July 2024, marking a step toward normalizing ties between the two neighbors.