Azernews.Az

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has strongly responded to recent comments made by Iran’s Ambassador to Armenia, Mehdi Sobhani, concerning the Western Azerbaijan Community, Azernews reports.

"We categorically reject the claims of the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Republic of Armenia Mehdi Sobhani regarding the Western Azerbaijan Community," said Aykhan Hajizadeh, Head of the Press Service Department of the Ministry.

Hajizadeh criticized what he called a "manipulative interpretation" by the Iranian ambassador of the decisions adopted by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, stressing that such comments distort the OIC’s clear support for justice and human rights.

"The ambassador's manipulative interpretation of the decisions of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) regarding the Western Azerbaijan Community adopted in Istanbul arouses surprise and indignation, as it distorts the clear intention of the decisions to protect justice and human rights against the Community, which was systematically expelled from the territory of present-day Armenia through violence, intimidation and gross violations," he noted.

Hajizadeh advised the Iranian diplomat to familiarize himself with the OIC texts before making public remarks.

"If the ambassador is not familiar with the text of the resolutions adopted by the OIC, we would recommend that he read them carefully. The resolutions, including the resolution entitled 'The Right of Return of Azerbaijanis Forced and Systematically Expelled from the Territory of Present-Day Armenia,' reflect undeniable historical facts based on the principles of international law and justice. These resolutions demand the restoration of the fundamental rights of the displaced Azerbaijanis, not the territorial claims falsely presented by Armenia and voiced by the Iranian ambassador. In addition, the resolution condemns, among other things, Armenia's persistent denial of the fundamental rights of the Community."

Hajizadeh warned that Sobhani’s statements are not only misleading but also contradictory to Iran's own official stance as represented at the OIC summit.

"The ambassador's false statements, calculated to satisfy Armenia's needs, are particularly dangerous because they contradict the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran, represented in Istanbul at the level of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which supported the resolutions on the Western Azerbaijan Community together with 57 countries."

He concluded by highlighting the broader implications of the ambassador's rhetoric:
"The ambassador's regular and systematic provocative statements against Azerbaijan are aimed at undermining relations between Azerbaijan and Iran. The fact that Armenia's distortions are so enthusiastic, more than the Pope—'It will not be honorable to be promoted as a Catholic,'" he added, invoking a sharp metaphor to criticize the ambassador’s alignment with Armenian narratives.

This is not the first time Iranian diplomatic figures in Yerevan have drawn criticism from Baku, as Azerbaijani officials continue to stress the importance of factual accuracy and mutual respect in regional dialogue.