TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Iranian Foreign Ministry voiced concern about an eruption of fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, calling on the warring sides to conform with the contents of a previously-signed ceasefire and resolve the conflict through negotiations.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani expressed concern over the escalation of the situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and called for all sides to respect the terms of the truce and resolve all issues via negotiations.
He also stressed Iran’s sound policy on the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, saying the Islamic Republic considers the region to be part of the Azerbaijani territory.
Tehran believes that all issues pertaining to the region including the rights and security of its residents must be resolved within this framework and through dialogue, he added, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.
Kanaani once again highlighted the role of regional nations in helping settle disputes peacefully and reiterated Iran’s readiness to host the 3+3 meeting for this purpose.
The statement came after the Republic of Azerbaijan launched a military operation in Karabakh earlier in the day, almost three years after it went to war with Armenia over the disputed mountainous region.
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but has been populated by ethnic Armenians. In 2020, Azerbaijan made significant territorial gains in a six-week war that killed thousands on both sides, before Moscow brokered a ceasefire deal that included the deployment of 1,960 Russian peacekeepers to the region for a five-year period.
Since the truce, the two sides have accused each other of breaching the peace deal.
