Azerbaijan fully evacuates embassy in Tehran, only consulate in Tabriz keeps working
BAKU. Jan 30 (Interfax) - A plane carrying employees of the Azerbaijani embassy to Iran and their families evacuated from Tehran landed in Baku on Sunday evening.
A special flight of Azerbaijan Airlines evacuated the embassy personnel from Iran, the Azerbaijani media said.
The body of Orkhan Askerov, embassy security chief killed in an armed terrorist attack on the mission, was also brought to Baku. A wounded security guard of the embassy arrived in the Azerbaijani capital, as well.
"Consistent with the Vienna Convention, the country hosting an embassy bears responsibility for its security. Therefore, Iran is responsible for the terror attack and its severe consequences," Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov said, as he commented on the armed attack on the country's diplomatic mission.
The Azerbaijani embassy suspended operation, while the Azerbaijani consulate in Tabriz is still functioning, he said.
Baku repeatedly notified the Iranian authorities of the need to enhance security of Azerbaijani diplomatic missions amid the existence of certain risks, Khalafov added. "However, the incident proves that the Iranian authorities have been irresponsible about our warnings. We are expecting the Iranian side to identify and punish everyone behind this terror attack," he said.
Baku disagrees with Tehran's theory of the attack being caused by family matters, Khalafov said.
The incident has done a lot of damage to Baku-Tehran relations, he said.
The Azerbaijani embassy to Iran was attacked in the morning of January 27. The assailant armed with a Kalashnikov rifle shot and killed the embassy security chief. Two security guards were injured while deterring the assault. Their condition is fair. One of the injured security guards managed to neutralize the assailant.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev described the incident as a terror attack and demanded that Iran solve the crime promptly.
The Iranian media reported with the reference to Tehran police chief Hossein Rahimi that a 50-year-old man attacked the embassy explaining his actions by personal and family reasons.