Iran denies alleged deployment of military hardware on border with Azerbaijan

The Iranian embassy in Azerbaijan has described as fake video footage circulated on social networking platforms claiming that Iran continues to deploy its military hardware on the border with Azerbaijan in order to hold drills.

"News reports disseminated on social media are fake. These kinds of reports are circulated by ill-wishers of the two countries' ties in order to disrupt Tehran-Baku relationships," an unnamed aide to the Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan, Seyed Abbas Mousavi, said in an interview with Azerbaijani Public TV, according to Caliber.Az.

The video footage was circulated on social media platforms on August 3, several hours after the Azerbaijani army launched the retaliatory operation "Revenge" in Karabakh.

The operation was carried out by the Azerbaijani army units on August 3, the heights of Girkhgiz, Saribaba and a number of other important dominant heights along the Karabakh ridge of the Lesser Caucasus Mountain chain were taken under control.

Within the framework of the operation, several combat positions of illegal Armenian armed formations were destroyed, and an air strike was carried out on a military unit in the settlement of Yukhari Oratagh of the former Aghdere [currently Kalbajar] district.

Four members of illegal Armenian armed groups were killed, and 15 were wounded on Azerbaijani territories temporarily monitored by the Russian peacekeepers in the Karabakh region. Several D-30 howitzers, military vehicles and a large amount of ammunition were also destroyed.

Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that the presence of the Armenian armed forces and illegal Armenian armed formations on Azerbaijan territories, where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily stationed, contrary to the tripartite statement, is a source of danger. The demilitarisation of these territories, the complete withdrawal of Armenian troops from there and the disarmament of illegal Armenian armed formations were absolutely inevitable.