Iran Warns Will Not Tolerate Violation of Its Borders amid Karabakh Conflict
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali said the country will not tolerate any form of violations against its borders amid ongoing armed clashes between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Officials in the northwestern Iranian province of East Azarbaijan reported that mortar shells fired by the warring sides in the latest round of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan had hit border rural areas in Iran.
Jalali confirmed the shelling reports on Thursday in an interview with Sputnik, warning, “We will not tolerate any violation of our borders”.
"...during the recent events unfolding between Armenia and Azerbaijan, we told both sides that anyone violating this principle will be fully rejected", he said.
He added, "The Islamic Republic of Iran is thoroughly monitoring activities in the border regions of our country. In this regard, as we declare inadmissible aggression by any of the warring sides on our territory, we seriously warn them of the need to be cautious".
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but is populated by Armenians and sought after by the Armenian secessionists.
On September 27, the separatists sparked a firefight by targeting Azeri forces.
Around 1,000 have reportedly died from the two sides during the violence. The flare-up has proven the deadliest to erupt between the two sides since 1992, when Armenians invaded the region with Yerevan’s backing and forced Azeris into a retreat.
