Iran's Foreign Ministry Responds to Aliyev's Statement on Military Exercises

The official representative of Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saeed Khatibzadeh, has responded to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's statement regarding military exercises taking place in Iran. As reported by Armenpress, citing the IRNA agency, Khatibzadeh noted that while there are good and respectful relations between the two countries, and the usual channels of communication are at the highest level, it is surprising to express concerns in this manner.

He mentioned, "There was a serious discussion on this and related issues during the meeting of the foreign ministers of the two countries within the framework of the UN General Assembly in New York. It was decided to continue this dialogue on an appropriate platform."

Khatibzadeh added that Iran has consistently opposed any kind of occupation and emphasized the necessity of respecting countries' territorial integrity and internationally recognized borders. He mentioned, "At the same time, adherence to the principles of neighborly relations is one of the crucial issues that is expected to receive attention from neighboring countries."

He noted that conducting exercises near Iran's northwestern borders is a matter of sovereignty and is carried out for the stability and peace of the entire region. "Of course, it is clear that the Islamic Republic of Iran will not tolerate even the demonstrative presence of the Zionist regime near its borders, and in this regard, it will take any action it deems necessary for its national security," Khatibzadeh reiterated.