border into the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan. The airport terminal was hit, a drone exploded near a school, injuring civilians, and another drone was shot down, as the war in the Middle East spilled over Iran's northern border. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev condemned the "act of terror", demanding an explanation and apology from Tehran. On Friday he went further, announcing the withdrawal of staff from Azerbaijan's embassy in Tehran and consulate in Tabriz "for their own safety", and state media said the military had been placed on maximum combat readiness.

Aliyev also touched on Iran's ethnic Azerbaijani population on Thursday - a sensitive subject for Tehran. Iran denies any role in Thursday's strikes and has suggested the attack may have been an Israeli false‑flag operation. Azerbaijan, a small but strategically important Caspian country bordering Russia, Iran, Armenia and Georgia, is now being pulled closer to the heart of a much bigger confrontation. Nakhchivan is an isolated Azerbaijani territory bordering Iran, Turkey and Armenia, making it particularly exposed during times of conflict. The drones triggered Aliyev's strongest public attack on Tehran since he took office. He said the Iranian forces behind the strike were "ugly, cowardly and disgusting" - an unusually blunt personal insult for a head of state. But his anger went beyond words, saying that "independent Azerbaijan is a place of hope for Azerbaijanis living in Iran".  Baku has long avoided this line because of how sensitive it is for Tehran. (BBC)