development storydevelopment story,
Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry says a guard was killed in the attack.
The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that a guard was killed in an armed attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
“The attacker breached the guard post and killed the chief of security with a Kalashnikov,” it added.
The ministry added that Friday’s attack also wounded two guards. An investigation has been opened.
Police in Tehran said they have arrested a suspect and are investigating the motive behind the attack.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, quoting the police chief, said the suspect entered the embassy with two young children and may have been motivated by “personal issues”.
However, surveillance footage released on social media by Iran’s state-owned Press TV news agency showed what appeared to be the gunman entering the embassy alone and firing inside the building, before scuffled with a man trying to stop him.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu condemned the “treacherous attack” on Twitter. He said that “Azerbaijan is not alone at all,” expressing his condolences to the relatives of the victim, and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
Iran, home to millions of Azerbaijanis, has long accused Baku of fomenting separatist sentiments in its territory.
Relations between Baku and Tehran have traditionally been tense, as Turkic-speaking Azerbaijan is a close ally of Iran’s historical rival Turkey.
Iran is also suspicious of Azerbaijan’s military cooperation with Israel – a major arms supplier to Baku – saying Tel Aviv could use Azerbaijani territory as a bridge against Iran.
“Internet practitioner. Social media maven. Certified zombieaholic. Lifelong communicator.”