Iranian supreme leader’s office in Azerbaijan set to reopen amid warming ties

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, is reactivating his representative office in Azerbaijan, according to sources from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). 

The decision to resume the office's operations has already been made, Caliber.Az reports, citing Azad Iran (Free Iran).

Details have not yet been disclosed.

To recall, the office of Iran’s Supreme Leader in Azerbaijan was previously closed amid heightened diplomatic tensions between Baku and Tehran. Azerbaijani authorities had voiced concerns over Tehran’s attempts to exert ideological and political influence within Azerbaijan, particularly through religious networks and cultural institutions linked to Iran.

Iran’s close relationship with Armenia, especially during and after the Second Karabakh War, was viewed unfavorably by Azerbaijan. This became a persistent point of contention, as Baku considered Iran’s position to be biased and unconstructive.

A series of hostile statements from Iranian officials, military drills near the Azerbaijani border, and the foiled plots involving alleged Iranian-linked operatives further deepened mistrust. In response, Azerbaijan curtailed the activities of institutions associated with Iran, including religious centres and the Supreme Leader’s office.

By Khagan Isayev