On Saturday, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Jafar Aghaei Maryan, the chargé d'affaires at Iran's Embassy in Baku, to lodge a protest over alleged anti-Azerbaijan content in Iranian media.
According to the APA news agency, Azerbaijani officials raised objections over what they described as a systematic campaign by Iranian media outlets, allegedly close to the Iranian government, to discredit Azerbaijan.
The controversy follows reports that Azerbaijan expelled or barred 16 Iranian female students, accusing them of collaborating with Iranian-linked entities. Iranian state media condemned the expulsions as being aligned with Israel’s policies.
Tensions further escalated earlier in January after Azerbaijan’s security services said they had foiled a plot to assassinate a prominent local Jewish figure for $200,000. Two suspects were arrested, with Azerbaijani officials alleging they acted "under the guidance of a foreign country." While no nation was explicitly named, sources within Azerbaijan’s Jewish community have pointed to Iran.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Mojtaba Demirchilou, an aide to Iran’s foreign minister and director general for Eurasia affairs, met with Azerbaijan's ambassador in Tehran, Ali Alizadeh. During the meeting, Demirchilou protested what he described as "negative actions by certain circles or individuals in Azerbaijan," including the "unethical incident" involving Iranian students. He described these actions as "damaging to relations between the two nations" and called for decisive measures against those responsible.
This development adds to long-standing tensions between the two countries. Tehran has been critical of Baku’s close ties with Israel, while Azerbaijan has expressed frustration over Tehran’s alleged provocations, including inflammatory rhetoric by Iranian clerics and media.
Earlier this month, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev condemned remarks by Iranian cleric Seyyed Hassan Ameli, the Friday Prayer Leader of Ardabil. Ameli accused Azerbaijan of collaborating with Israel and described President Aliyev's policies as part of a "multi-billion dollar gamble with the Israelis." The remarks, aired on IRIB News, also reportedly included insults towards Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
During a press briefing, Aliyev publicly questioned Iran’s leadership over its silence on the matter, demanding an apology. "What is their reaction? Does [the Iranian leadership] support this or not? Who will apologize to Azerbaijan?" Aliyev asked, reflecting the deepening strain between the neighbors.