Three years pass since terrorist attack on Azerbaijani embassy in Iran

Three years have passed since the terrorist attack on the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Iran’s capital, Tehran, which claimed the life of an Azerbaijani diplomat and led to a prolonged suspension of the mission’s activities.

As Caliber.Az recalls, the attack took place on January 27, 2023, at 08:30 Baku time. An Iranian citizen, Yasin Huseynzade, armed with a Kalashnikov assault rifle, forced his way through a security post at the Azerbaijani embassy and fatally shot Orkhan Asgarov, head of the embassy’s security service. Two other security officers, Vasif Taghiyev and Mahir Imanov, were wounded while repelling the attack.

In the aftermath of the incident, on January 30, 2023, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs evacuated embassy staff from Tehran and suspended the mission’s operations. The State Security Service of Azerbaijan opened a criminal case under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code.

Orkhan Asgarov was laid to rest at the Second Alley of Martyrs. By presidential decree on February 3, 2023, he was posthumously awarded the “For the Motherland” medal. Vasif Taghiyev received the Order of Courage, First Degree, while Mahir Imanov was also awarded the “For the Motherland” medal.

Following negotiations between Baku and Tehran, the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Iran resumed operations on July 15, 2024, at a new address. The ambassador and embassy staff subsequently returned to Iran.

The trial of Yasin Huseynzade lasted two years. Iran’s Ministry of Justice later announced that he had been sentenced to death, a verdict upheld by the country’s Supreme Court. According to available information, the sentence was carried out in May last year, when the perpetrator was executed.

The attack remains one of the most serious assaults on an Azerbaijani diplomatic mission abroad and continues to shape discussions on diplomatic security and bilateral relations.

By Vugar Khalilov