Category: Azer News

A ballistic missile launched from Iran and detected entering the airspace of Trkiye has been successfully neutralized, according to a statement by the Turkish Ministry of National Defense.

As reported by AzerNEWS, the ministry reported that the missile was intercepted by NATO air and missile defense forces deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean.

‘The ballistic missile launched from Iran and identified as entering Turkish airspace was neutralized by NATO air and missile defense units stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean. All necessary measures are being taken decisively and without hesitation against any threats directed at our country’s territory and airspace, and developments in the region are being closely monitored with national security as the top priority,’ the statement said.

The incident highlights ongoing security tensions in the region and underscores Trkiye’s integration within NATO’s collective defense architecture, particularly in the area of missile defense.

The World Bank has announced a new date for approving financing for the major environmental initiative ‘Restoring the Caspian Sea Ecosystem: Building Capacity for Pollution Management and Biodiversity Conservation’, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the bank, the decision is now scheduled for April 8, 2026, instead of the previously expected April 1.

The project involves Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan, and aims to strengthen regional cooperation in tackling pollution in the Caspian Sea while enhancing biodiversity conservation.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is providing a $11.74 million grant to the World Bank and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as implementing agencies.

– The World Bank will submit $8.24 million for Board approval

– The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) will act as the implementing agency

– UNOPS will also receive a $183,489 preparation grant to develop environmental and social standards and coordinate with participating countries

The initiative is structured around three key components:

– Enhancing pollution management – $3.9 million

– Strengthening management of protected natural areas – $3.9 million

– Project management – $443,120

The project is designed to boost institutional capacity in participating countries and support commitments under the Tehran Convention, reinforcing long-term efforts to protect the Caspian Sea’s fragile ecosystem.

There are many unforgettable days in the history of Azerbaijan-moments that are forever engraved in memory and cannot be erased from the pages of history. Unfortunately, alongside many glorious chapters, there are also pages filled with tragedies and acts of genocide. Throughout all stages of its history, our people have endured suffering in order to protect their land, state, and statehood. One of these horrific events was the mass massacres committed with particular cruelty in March-April 1918 by armed Dashnak-Bolshevik groups operating under the mandate of the Baku Soviet.

The March 1918 genocides are among the bloodiest tragedies not only in the history of Azerbaijan but in the history of humanity in terms of their scale and brutality. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Armenians killed thousands of people without distinction-children, the elderly, and women-slaughtering them, burning them alive, and turning much of Baku into ruins. The genocide of Azerbaijanis was carried out not only in Baku but also with extreme cruelty in Shamakhi, Quba districts, Karabakh, Zangezur, Nakhchivan, Lankaran, Ganja, and other regions. In these areas, more than 30,000 Azerbaijanis were killed, tens of thousands were expelled from their homes, cities and villages were burned, and national cultural monuments were destroyed. Alongside tens of thousands of Azerbaijanis, thousands of people of Lezgi, Jewish, Russian, Avar, and Talysh origin also became victims of this genocide.

The first attempt to give a political assessment to this genocide against Azerbaijanis was made after the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. However, the fall of the republic left this work unfinished.

The genocides committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis were repeated at the end of the 20th century. As a result of military crimes initiated by nationalist-separatist Armenians in Azerbaijan, thousands of our compatriots were martyred, and more than one million people were displaced from their native lands.

After Azerbaijan restored its state independence, it became possible to present an objective picture of our historical past. Truths that had been hidden and suppressed for many years began to emerge, and practical steps were taken to preserve the enduring history of our people.

In order to commemorate all genocide tragedies committed against the Azerbaijani people, on March 26, 1998, National Leader Heydar Aliyev signed the Decree ‘On the Genocide of Azerbaijanis.’ With this decree, March 31 was declared the ‘Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis.’ On March 30, 1999, a plan of measures was approved to ensure the consistent and organized implementation of this decree.

In that historic decree, Heydar Aliyev drew attention to the various stages of the deliberate and systematic genocide policy carried out by Armenians against Azerbaijanis. It is noted that the Republic of Azerbaijan, as the successor of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, accepts as a historical duty the task of giving a political assessment to these events as a logical continuation of decisions that could not be fully implemented at the time.

The political and legal assessment of genocide acts provided by this decree gave boost to research in this field and increased efforts to uncover the truth. As a result of investigations, many new facts and documents were collected, and a mass grave was discovered in the city of Quba. These historical facts prove that the geography of the bloody actions carried out by Armenian nationalists in March-April 1918 and in subsequent periods was much wider, and the number of victims was far greater.

At the same time, significant work has been done to study this history; many works have been written and translated into foreign languages. As emphasized by the National Leader:

‘Although it is difficult to convey to the world states and influential international organizations the truths about the genocide committed against our people based on real facts and evidence, to change the false perceptions formed by Armenian propaganda, and to achieve a legal-political assessment, this honorable and sacred task must continue today and in the future. This is a sacred duty of the present generation before the memory of the victims of genocide.’

The important work carried out to convey these truths to the world community, to preserve the national memory of future generations of the Azerbaijani people, and to immortalize the victims of genocide, as well as the successful policy laid down, are being continued today by President Ilham Aliyev. By his decree dated December 30, 2009, it was decided to establish the ‘Genocide Memorial Complex’ in the city of Quba. The complex, covering an area of 3.5 hectares and consisting of five parts, was built in 2012-2013 on the left bank of the Gudyalchay River in Quba and opened on September 18, 2013.

It should be noted that according to the UN Convention ‘On the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide’ adopted on December 9, 1948, acts committed with the intent to wholly or partially destroy national, ethnic, or racial groups are considered crimes under international law.

The March 31 genocide remains in human history not only as a crime and tragedy but also as a heroic page of Azerbaijan’s history. In particular, during the Second Karabakh Patriotic War, the heroic sons of the victorious Azerbaijani Army, fulfilling the orders of Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, avenged all atrocities and genocides committed against our people.

The signing of the trilateral statement between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia on November 10, 2020, with the participation of the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the trilateral declaration signed in Washington on August 8, 2025, with the participation of the President of the United States, and the initialing of the provisions of a Peace Agreement, put an end to the injustices our people had suffered for many years.

Today, in a period when the global political architecture is being reshaped, Azerbaijan is successfully carrying out its peacekeeping mission. Our country protects its independence, restored sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and by rapidly carrying out reconstruction work in our native Karabakh with the support of Turkic states and other partner countries, ensures peace, stability, and security in the South Caucasus.

Thus, by strengthening its position in the modern world, Azerbaijan, together with friendly neighboring and global states, strives to build a prosperous future for all peoples.

A senior Iranian lawmaker has called for Tehran to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), arguing that current conditions no longer justify the country’s continued participation.

AzerNEWS reports that Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of Iran’s parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said in a statement to local media that remaining in the treaty has lost its meaning under the present circumstances.

According to Boroujerdi, a growing number of Iranian lawmakers now believe there is no reason for the country to accept high-level restrictions following recent developments.

‘Iran is not seeking nuclear weapons,’ he said. ‘However, it is not logical for a country to both comply with international rules and be subjected to bombardment at the same time.’

His remarks come amid a sharp escalation in tensions between United States and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program. After failing to reach a concrete agreement in negotiations, the United States and Israel reportedly launched airstrikes against Iran starting February 28.

In response, Iran carried out missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. military facilities across the region.

The first day of the strikes reportedly resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, along with several high-ranking military officials. On March 8, Iran’s Assembly of Experts elected his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the country’s third Supreme Leader.

Subsequent airstrikes also led to the deaths of several senior Iranian figures, including Chief of Staff Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, IRGC Commander Mohammad Pakpour, senior adviser Ali Shamkhani, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, and Basij Commander Gholamreza Soleimani.

Between March 1 and 5, the conflict expanded further, drawing in multiple countries across the Middle East.

The escalation has placed regional energy infrastructure and maritime routes under severe threat. Rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have driven global oil prices sharply higher, while several countries have urged their citizens to leave the region.

The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, has reportedly passed a law introducing the death penalty for individuals accused of terrorism-related offenses, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the reported provisions, the law would apply to cases within Israel as well as in territories such as Gaza Strip and Palestine.

The legislation reportedly ??????????????? that:

– individuals convicted of ‘terrorism’ may face execution

– in Palestinian territories, the death penalty would be applied specifically to Palestinians

– Israeli citizens would not be subject to the death penalty under any circumstances

– no appeal process would be available

– executions would be carried out within three months of sentencing

Between 08:00 on February 28 and 10:00 on March 30, a total of 3,094 individuals were evacuated from Iran to Azerbaijan, AzerNEWS reports.

Among those evacuated, 536 were Azerbaijani citizens, while the majority consisted of foreign nationals.

The largest groups included 728 citizens of China, 354 from Russia, 198 from Bangladesh, 196 from India, 187 from Tajikistan, and 148 from Pakistan. Other evacuees included nationals from Oman (80), Indonesia (68), Iran (57), Italy (44), Algeria (30), Spain (26), Germany (24), Canada (25), France (19), Saudi Arabia (18), Japan (18), Georgia (19), Uzbekistan (16), Poland (14), Switzerland (14), Nigeria (13), Hungary (12), Bahrain (12), Kazakhstan (13), Mexico (11), the United States (11), and Belarus (11).

Additionally, citizens from the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (10 each), Brazil (9), Sudan (8), Venezuela (7), Slovakia, Belgium, Romania, and the United Arab Emirates (6 each) were evacuated.

Smaller groups included nationals from Turkiye, Serbia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, Greece, Vietnam, Finland, and Kyrgyzstan (5 each); Jordan, the Philippines, Ukraine, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, and the Netherlands (4 each); Qatar, Croatia, Denmark, and Norway (3 each); and Nepal, Lebanon, Yemen, Myanmar, Cyprus, and Slovenia (2 each).

At least one citizen each from Tunisia, South Africa, the Maldives, Cuba, the Vatican, Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Latvia, Egypt, Belize, and the Dominican Republic was also evacuated.

The magnitude and diversity of the evacuation underline Azerbaijan’s growing role as a regional humanitarian and transit hub, facilitating the safe movement of foreign nationals during periods of heightened uncertainty.

Researchers at Xi’an Jiaotong University have created a system that allows a robot dog to be controlled without joysticks or buttons-just by thinking about the desired action, combining brain-signal reading technology with autonomous navigation, Xu, one of the project leader, AzerNEWS reports.

The system uses a non-invasive brain-computer interface (BCI). Sensors placed on the head read the brain’s electrical signals without any surgery or implants. When a person thinks an intention, such as ‘move forward,’ the brain produces a distinct signal. The system recognizes it, translates it into a command, and sends it to the robot.

‘It’s a kind of remote control in your mind,’ Xu explains.

Currently, the robot can understand 11 basic commands, including forward and backward movement, turns, and other simple actions. The system has an accuracy of over 95%, with a delay between thought and movement of about one second.

Direct brain-control technologies have existed for some time, but the most precise systems often require surgical implants, which carry risks of infection, signal degradation, and device rejection. The non-invasive approach is safer, cheaper, and more convenient-but the signals it captures are less precise. Asking a human to control every movement of the robot would quickly lead to overload.

The team solved this problem by dividing roles between human and robot. Humans are responsible only for communicating high-level intentions, like ‘where to go,’ while the robot autonomously handles routing, obstacle avoidance, balance, and precise movements, reducing user workload and improving system stability.

This technology could have important applications in rehabilitation, elderly care, and assistance for people with limited mobility, transforming the robot dog from a novelty into a practical assistive companion.

Xu emphasizes that the future of such systems lies in combining brain interfaces with artificial intelligence and environmental perception, enabling management that is both intuitive and practical. Experts predict that as these systems evolve, we may soon see robots in homes, hospitals, and care facilities responding almost instantly to human thought, blurring the line between mind and machine.

The United Arab Emirates has reportedly canceled residency permits for citizens of Iran, according to Tehran Times, AzerNEWS reports.

The report claims that authorities in Abu Dhabi have also revoked ‘golden visas’ previously granted to Iranian investors, alleging that the move affects significant Iranian-held assets in the country.

The publication further stated that the decision could involve assets valued at approximately $530 billion, though no independent confirmation has been provided.

]As of now, the UAE authorities have not officially confirmed the reported measures, and the details surrounding the alleged cancellations remain unclear.

Thousands of American troops, including Marines and paratroopers, are headed towards the Middle East as United States President Donald Trump considers starting a ground operation in Iran, Israeli I24 News reported on Sunday, citing officials familiar with the matter, AzerNEWS reports.

“All options are on the table. It all depends on the president’s decision,” another US source told the outlet, emphasizing that both military and diplomatic solutions are being considered. The officials did not disclose any details about the possible timeframe of the operation.

Unofficial reports about the possible ground operation have been pouring in lately, with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf accusing the US side of preparing for escalation while publicly speaking of peace efforts.

According to the NY Times, the arrival of 2,500 Marines and another 2,500 sailors is keeping the number of American troops in the Mideast region at over 50,000, roughly 10,000 more than usual, as President Trump decides on his next step in his month-old war in Iran.

While it is still unclear just what the Marines, from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, will be charged with, U.S. officials say the president is weighing whether to try a larger attack, like venturing to seize an island or other ground as part of Mr. Trump’s effort to open the Strait of Hormuz.

The narrow waterway, through which around 20 percent of the world’s oil usually traverses, has been largely closed because of attacks by Iranian forces who are retaliating against the U.S. and Israeli war on their country.

Usually there are around 40,000 American troops scattered around at bases and on ships at any time around the region, including in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. But as Mr. Trump has escalated the war in Iran, that number has reached more than 50,000, according to a U.S. military official.

The number of troops no longer includes the 4,500 aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Gerald Ford, however. That ship has been hobbled by constant mishaps, including a fire that broke out in the laundry. The Ford withdrew from the region on March 23 and sailed to Crete. On Friday it arrived in Croatia. It remains unclear where it is headed next.

Last week, the Pentagon also ordered about 2,000 soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East to give Mr. Trump additional military options.

The location of the Army paratroopers is not public, the military official said. But they will be within striking distance of Iran. The paratroopers could be used to seize Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub in the northern Persian Gulf, where U.S. warplanes bombed more than 90 military targets earlier this month. Or they could be deployed for other ground operations in conjunction with the Marines.

But military experts caution that even 50,000 troops, many of them at sea, is a small number for any kind of major land operation. Israel used more than 300,000 troops for its operations in the Gaza Strip that began in October 2023. The U.S.-led coalition that invaded Iraq in 2003 was close to 250,000 at the beginning.

At almost a third of the size of the continental United States, Iran has around 93 million people. Taking, let alone holding, a country of its size and complexity and weaponry with 50,000 troops is not doable, military experts say.

Azerbaijani FIFA referee Tural Gurbanov has been appointed as the main referee for an international match for the first time in his career, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan, Gurbanov will officiate the Netherlands vs. Belarus match in the second round of the UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifiers.

He will be assisted by fellow Azerbaijani referee Asiman Azizli and North Macedonian official Aleksandar Gjurovski. The fourth official for the match will be Vlatko Ilioski.

The Group B7 fixture is scheduled to take place on March 31 at the Mardan Sports Complex in Antalya.

It should be noted that Gurbanov previously served as the fourth official in the Kosovo vs. Netherlands match (0-1) held on March 25.