"Necessary security measures have been taken to continue normal activities at the embassy and diplomats of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran," he said. Azerbaijan's foreign ministry responded strongly to the attack, summoning Iran's ambassador in Baku to demand justice and saying it would evacuate its embassy staff from Tehran. It said an "anti-Azerbaijani campaign" in Iran had contributed to the attack, without elaborating, and accused Tehran of long ignoring its appeals to boost embassy security. Azerbaijan, a secular Muslim former Soviet republic, has friendly ties with the United States and Israel and has had difficult diplomatic relations with Iran. Israel has had an embassy in Baku since the early 1990s and has been a significant military backer of Azerbaijan in recent years.
