Azerbaijan declares four Iranian diplomats as "persona non grata"

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced four Iranian diplomats as persona non grata and demanded their immediate departure from the country within 48 hours.

The decision was conveyed to the Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Abbas Mousavi, during his meeting with the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

In a statement, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said the diplomats were involved in activities that violated their diplomatic status and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961.

The statement added that the four embassy employees had to leave Azerbaijan's territory within the given time frame.

Azerbaijan and Iran share a long history of cultural and economic ties, but several political and strategic factors have complicated their relationship.

One main issue that has strained the relationship between the two neighboring countries is the conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, located within Azerbaijan but has been controlled by ethnic Armenians since a war in the early 1990s.

Iran has tried to mediate the conflict but has also expressed concern over the potential for instability and violence spilling over into its territory.

Another factor that has complicated the relationship between the two countries is Iran's relationship with Armenia, which has been a strategic ally of Iran in the region. Azerbaijan, in turn, has sought closer ties with Israel and other Western powers, which has led to tensions with Iran.

Despite these challenges, Azerbaijan and Iran have maintained economic and cultural ties, with significant trade between the two countries and a sizeable Azerbaijani minority living in Iran.