Iranian FM: Assault on Baku's embassy personal, not terrorist

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The attack on Azerbaijan's Embassy in Tehran is not considered a terrorist attack because the perpetrator had personal motives to commit the crime, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated on Friday.

"As of the beginning of the incident and the spread of news about it, President Ebrahim Raeisi issued strict orders for legal and judiciary surveys and severe dealing with anyone who has possibly neglected their duties, or need to be introduced to the judiciary system, including the attacker himself."

Police in Tehran reported the arrest of the assailant who shot dead one guard and left two others wounded after entering Azerbaijan's Embassy in the Iranian capital on Friday morning. 

"In the initial investigation, the attacker stated that his motivation was personal and family problems," Tehran police chief said.

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Iran's top diplomat added that he discussed the incident with Baku's envoy, saying the latter will be returning to Tehran and stressing that the Foreign Ministry worked on preventing the enemies of the two countries from taking advantage of the crime and trying to create a rife between the two.

"Today I spoke with my counterpart Mr. Jeyhun Bayramov in detail and we agreed that Mr. ambassador would return to Tehran tonight. Also, the team of my colleagues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the managing directors of Eurasia Affairs, the Ceremonial Affairs, and everyone at the Foreign Ministry spent their efforts so that the two sides will pass through this phase without providing any pretexts for the enemies of the two countries' amicable relations," Amir-Abdollahian said.

The top Iranian diplomat added that Iranian intelligence services updated Azerbaijan officials on the latest findings on Friday evening.

The Foreign Minister confirmed that "according to our colleagues' [intelligence services] findings so far in both the security and the judiciary sections, the attacker merely has personal incentives about the status of his wife."

The exact personal incentives behind the attack are still being investigated, "but the method of the operation, according to the security and police forces, reveals that this has not been a premeditated terrorist attack, but a move made based on personal incentives, similar events with which had in past years happened for Iranian diplomats in Iraq, London and Beijing," he stated.

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The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanaani, also strongly condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the victim's family, as well as the Azerbaijani government and people.

"The issue is being pursued with top priority and sensitivity on the order of political and security officials, so that aspects of the incident and the motivation of the attacker become clear."

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi instructed Iranian concerned services to carry out an immediate investigation into the attack on Azerbaijan’s Embassy, which resulted in the death of the chief of security service of the embassy and the injury of two other guards.

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“We condemn the attack at the entrance of the embassy of our brotherly neighbor, the Republic of Azerbaijan,” Mohammad Jamshidi, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian President for Political Affairs, posted on Twitter on Friday.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev described the attack as a “terrorist act” and demanded an immediate investigation.

"We demand that this terrorist act be investigated and the terrorist be punished,” Aliyev said, adding that an attack against a diplomatic mission was “unacceptable".

Azerbaijan evacuated its Embassy in Tehran and blamed Iran for the assault.

“All responsibility for the attack lies with Iran,” Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ayxan Hacizada stated to local media.

Anti-Azerbaijani narrative in Iranian media had “encouraged the attack,” he claimed.