Category: Azer News

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk wrote in an X post on Sunday, claiming that the platform set an all-time record for total active user seconds, the internal metric used by X Head of Product Nikita Bier to call it the “biggest day on X history”, AzerNEWS reports.

X’s usage soared from global demand for real-time news, reactions, and memes about yesterday’s US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a top IRGC official.

There is currently no available breakdown of the exact peaks.

The Serbian embassy in Tehran was not directly targeted in recent strikes, but the building sustained minor damage from falling shrapnel, according to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

As reported by AzerNEWS, Vucic said one of the strikes hit a Basij base, and fragments from the explosion caused damage to the embassy premises.

‘As for our diplomats in Iran, today our employees will be evacuated to Azerbaijan,’ Vucic stated. He added that Serbia’s ambassador will be temporarily relocated to Azerbaijan before later returning to Tehran.

Evacuations via Astara continue

Evacuation operations from Iran through the Astara border crossing are ongoing amid continued military escalation in the Middle East.

According to official and media reports, between 08:00 on February 28 and 14:00 on March 1, a total of 53 Azerbaijani citizens were evacuated from Iran into Azerbaijan.

In addition to Azerbaijani nationals, safe passage into the country has been ensured for several foreign citizens and diplomatic representatives, including:

18 members of a Saudi Arabian diplomatic delegation

5 citizens of Tajikistan

4 citizens of Jordan

3 citizens of Qatar

1 Italian citizen

Several countries have closed their airspace amid expectations of possible U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, forcing international airlines to urgently seek alternative routes.

AzerNEWS reports that against this backdrop, Azerbaijan’s airspace has become one of the safest and most actively used transit corridors for global aviation.

Monitoring data from the specialized aviation tracking platform Flightradar24 shows a significant concentration of international flights rerouted through Azerbaijani airspace.

Currently, the vast majority of long-haul international routes connecting East and West are being operated via Azerbaijan, as airlines avoid restricted or high-risk zones in neighboring regions.

This development not only underscores Azerbaijan’s role as a reliable ‘gate’ within the East-West air corridor, but also reinforces Baku’s position as a strategically important logistics and transit center, not only at the regional level, but increasingly on the global stage.

Kuwait’s health ministry reported Sunday that one individual has died and injured people increased to 32, as a result of Iranian strikes, AzerNEWS reports.

The deceased has not been identified.

All 32 wounded are foreign nationals, according to ministry spokesperson Dr. Abdullah Al-Sanad. The injured are suffering from a range of trauma, including chest, head, and abdominal wounds. He confirmed that 15 patients have been moved to Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital for further care.

Meanwhile, the UAE has announced three fatalities and 58 wounded in its own territory due to the same attacks.

Amid ongoing military operations in the Middle East, an increasing flow of information across media platforms and social networks is raising concerns about potential confusion within society, AzerNEWS reports.

AzerNEWS reports that the warning was issued in a statement by the Media Development Agency of Azerbaijan (MEDIA).

‘In a situation where the risks of disinformation are high, we call on all media entities to rely only on information from official sources and not to allow information manipulation. We call on journalists and public activists to disseminate only official information and to refrain from sharing information that causes concern in society,’ the statement said.

The agency emphasized the importance of responsible journalism during periods of heightened regional tension, underlining that the spread of unverified information could contribute to unnecessary anxiety and destabilization.

MEDIA urged media representatives and social media users alike to exercise caution and professionalism while covering developments related to the situation in the Middle East.

The evacuation of citizens from both Azerbaijan and other countries in Iran is ongoing.

According to AzerNEWS, between 08:00 on February 28 and 22:00 on March 1, a total of 192 individuals were evacuated from Iran.

Among those evacuated were 82 Azerbaijanis, 28 Pakistanis, 18 citizens of Saudi Arabia, and 18 Chinese citizens. Additionally, 6 citizens from the UAE, 17 Tajiks, 4 Jordanians, and 3 individuals each from Qatar and Bangladesh were included in the evacuation. The list also featured 2 Filipinos and 2 Nepalese citizens. Furthermore, one person each was evacuated from Turkey, Italy, Pakistan, Poland, Tunisia, Lebanon, India, France, and Brazil.

A large-scale humanitarian operation is currently in motion to extract foreign nationals from Iran as regional conflict reaches a critical flashpoint.

AzerNEWS reports that comprehensive measures have been established to facilitate these departures, with the evacuation process remaining active and ongoing.

In the period spanning from 08:00 on February 28 to 16:00 on March 1, a total of 123 individuals were successfully evacuated across the border. This multinational group included 54 citizens of Azerbaijan, 18 from Saudi Arabia, and 18 from China. The evacuation manifest also recorded 6 citizens from the UAE, 5 from Tajikistan, 4 from Jordan, and 3 each from Qatar and Bangladesh. Additionally, the group included 2 Filipinos, 2 Nepalese citizens, and one national each from Italy, Pakistan, Poland, Tunisia, Lebanon, India, France, and Brazil.

This urgent exodus follows the total collapse of diplomatic efforts regarding Iran’s nuclear program. After a second round of failed talks in mid-February led to a massive U.S. military buildup in Europe and the Middle East, a final “last chance” summit was held in Geneva on February 26 under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Those talks ended without an agreement as Tehran refused to halt uranium enrichment or dismantle its nuclear infrastructure.

The geopolitical landscape shifted violently on the morning of February 28, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated military airstrikes across Iran. Reports confirm that the strikes resulted in the deaths of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and several members of his family.

The Iranian military command structure has also suffered catastrophic losses. Confirmed fatalities from the strikes include the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Army, Major General Abdulrahim Mousavi, and the Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC, Mohammad Pakpour. Furthermore, Ali Shamkhani, Advisor to the Supreme Leader and Secretary of the Defense Council, along with Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, were killed during the targeted aerial campaign.

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Evacuations from Iran to Azerbaijan are ongoing.

According to AzerNEWS, foreign citizens, employees of foreign embassies in Iran, and diplomats are also being evacuated alongside Azerbaijani citizens.

Relevant state agencies in Azerbaijan are actively implementing the necessary measures for this operation.

Special buses have been designated for the safe transport of citizens, and emergency medical teams have been deployed to the area. Additionally, other operational services are on standby to assist as needed.

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Evacuation efforts from Iran through the Astara border crossing are continuing amid the ongoing military escalation in the Middle East, AzerNEWS reports.

According to official and media reports, between 08:00 on February 28 and 14:00 on March 1, a total of 53 Azerbaijani citizens were evacuated from Iran into Azerbaijan.

In addition to Azerbaijani nationals, safe passage into Azerbaijan has been ensured for several foreign citizens and diplomatic delegations. Among those evacuated are 18 members of a Saudi Arabian diplomatic delegation, five citizens of Tajikistan, four citizens of Jordan, three citizens of Qatar, and one Italian citizen.

Earlier, Azerbaijan also facilitated the crossings of citizens from other countries, including citizens from Bangladesh, Qatar and Pakistan, who were escorted into Azerbaijan through the same border point.

Russian President Vladimir Putin conveyed his condolences to Iran over the assassination of the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, describing his killing as a “cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law”, AzerNEWS reports.

“In our country, Ayatollah Khamenei will be remembered as an outstanding statesman who made an enormous personal contribution to the development of friendly Russian-Iranian relations, elevating them to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership,” Putin said in a statement shared by the Kremlin.

Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Saturday, triggering threats of unprecedented retaliatory attacks coming from Iran’s top officials.

The public legal entity Reconstruction, Construction and Management Service in Jabrayil, Gubadli and Zangilan regions has announced open tenders for several large-scale construction and restoration projects in the Gubadli region, AzerNEWS reports.

Residential and infrastructure construction in Khanlig

An open tender has been announced for the construction and installation of individual residential houses, multi-apartment buildings and engineering communication systems in the village of Khanlig, Gubadli region.

The estimated cost of the project is 94,807,114 manat (approximately $55.8 million USD, based on an exchange rate of 1 USD ˜ 1.7 AZN).

A separate tender has been announced for the construction and installation of non-residential buildings in the same village.

The estimated cost of this tender is 11,982,596 AZN (approximately $7.05 million USD).

Rainwater and flood management project

In addition, a tender has been opened for construction work under a project aimed at managing rainwater and flood waters in the villages of Zilanli, Mahruzlu and Khanlig in the Gubadli region.

The estimated cost of this project is 14,945,422 manat (approximately $8.79 million USD).

The official exchange rate of the Azerbaijani manat against the U.S. dollar remained unchanged this week, AzerNEWS reports, citing the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA).

According to the CBA, the weighted average rate at the end of the week stood at 1.7 manat (1.00 USD) per dollar.

The official exchange rate of the manat against the euro decreased by 0.0016 manat this week, while the weighted average rate fell by 0.00256 manat, reaching 2.00654 manat (approximately 1.18 USD) per euro.

Meanwhile, the official exchange rate of the manat against 100 Russian rubles increased by 0.0017 manat. However, the weighted average declined by 0.00192 manat, amounting to 2.21268 manat (approximately 1.30 USD) per 100 rubles.

The manat also slightly weakened against the Turkish lira. The official exchange rate dipped by 0.0001 manat to 0.0388 manat (approximately 0.023 USD) per lira, while the weighted average rate decreased by 0.00014 manat to 0.03876 manat (approximately 0.023 USD).

On March 1, 2026, a telephone conversation took place between Jeyhun Bayramov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, AzerNEWS reports.

During their discussion, the main focus was on the military clashes and heightened tensions in the security environment observed recently in the Middle East. Both officials expressed their deep concern regarding the situation. They highlighted the risks that the current military escalation poses to regional stability and emphasized the importance of adhering to international law while resolving conflicts through dialogue and political means.

The ministers agreed that ensuring the safety of the civilian population and infrastructure is a top priority. Minister Jeyhun Bayramov extended his condolences for the civilian casualties resulting from the conflict.

In addition, the ministers exchanged views on other matters of mutual interest.