Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 21, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleIran executed a man for a fatal shooting at Azerbaijan's embassy in Tehran, straining relations with Baku. The attack was deemed personal, not terrorism.
DUBAI (Reuters) -A man charged over a fatal shooting at Azerbaijan's embassy in the Iranian capital, Tehran, was executed on Wednesday, Iran's judiciary news outlet Mizan said.
The shooting, which took place in January 2023 and led to the killing of the Azeri embassy security chief, brought relations between Tehran and Baku to a new low, with the latter branding the shooting as an "act of terrorism".
Judicial authorities ruled the attack was for "personal reasons," Mizan reported.
"I thought my wife was at Azerbaijan's embassy in Tehran and was not willing to meet with me. I decided to go there with a Kalashnikov rifle," the defendant said during his trial, according to Mizan.
The two neighbouring countries have had tense relations, with Baku accusing Tehran of discriminating against its large ethnic Azeri minority and Iran voicing concerns regarding Azerbaijan's ties with its arch-rival Israel, as well as potential border changes following a military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian travelled to Baku last month, where he said Tehran hoped to resolve all issues jointly and to strengthen bilateral relations.
(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
The execution was related to a fatal shooting at Azerbaijan's embassy in Tehran, where the Azeri embassy security chief was killed.
Judicial authorities ruled that the attack was motivated by 'personal reasons' as the defendant believed his wife was at the embassy.
The shooting has brought relations between Tehran and Baku to a new low, with Azerbaijan accusing Iran of discrimination against its ethnic Azeri minority.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed hope for resolving issues jointly and strengthening bilateral relations during his visit to Baku.
The shooting incident took place in January 2023.
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