(Photo: AFP)BAKU - Iranian drone strikes on Azerbaijan have raised fears that the Middle East war could spill into the Caucasus, as Baku, an ally of Israel, vows to respond. Azerbaijan announced on Friday that it was withdrawing diplomatic staff from Iran, a day after drones launched from Iranian territory targeted an airport and exploded near a school in the country’s Nakhichevan exclave, bordering Iran. The drone strikes have fuelled concerns that the war could spill into the strategically sensitive South Caucasus, some analysts said. “The pipeline’s above-ground facilities, such as terminals and pumping stations, could be vulnerable to drone strikes,” said Ilham Shaban, head of the Baku-based Centre for Oil Research. “Azerbaijan does not wish to enter into an armed conflict with Iran,” Musabekov said.

Source: Bangkok Post March 06, 2026 13:35 UTC