EU slams Iranian drone strikes on Nakhchivan, warns of risk of regional escalation

The European Union has strongly condemned Iran’s drone attacks on Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan region, describing the strikes on civilian infrastructure as “totally unacceptable” and warning that they could further escalate the conflict beyond the Middle East.

Responding to questions from Report at a press briefing in Brussels, EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Anouar El Anouni said:

"We have been very clear. We condemn Iran's indiscriminate strikes as they took place in the Gulf, in Türkiye, and also in Azerbaijan. These drone strikes in Azerbaijan are totally unacceptable. They are a further escalation by Iran and raise the prospect of the war spreading beyond the Middle East."

El Anouni also highlighted that EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas had contacted Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov to express the EU’s full solidarity with the government and people of Azerbaijan, as Kallas announced the previous day.

Meanwhile, another EU foreign policy official, Anitta Hipper, declined to comment on whether the situation might impact the peace process between Baku and Yerevan, particularly the creation of a corridor connecting mainland Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan through Armenian territory. She emphasized, however, that the EU continues to support normalization efforts between the two countries.

"We have also been clear in our support for the normalisation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and we have been working for years with both parties and international partners to create the conditions in place for a lasting peace," Hipper said.

EU sources noted that the situation around Iran is evolving rapidly, prompting European officials to refrain from detailed commentary. Despite this, concern over the broader situation—especially regarding Azerbaijan, which is near the conflict’s epicenter—remains high.

By Vafa Guliyeva