Today, Nakhchivan airport was subjected to a drone attack by Iran. During the incident, 4 of our citizens were injured, and the airport's infrastructure suffered serious damage.
The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan immediately reacted to the issue. It was stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran bears full responsibility for the incident. The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan is preparing necessary response measures to protect our country's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and to ensure the safety of civilians and civilian infrastructure. It was noted that these acts of aggression will not go unanswered.
Modern.az reports that such an attack was not accidental, and SEPAH's involvement is clearly discernible. Iran's long-range kamikaze-type Arash-2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (SEPAH). The production and technical maintenance of the drones are carried out by the Aerospace Organization of the Iranian Ministry of Defense. According to information, the operational chain is formed as follows: first, the drones are prepared and undergo technical tests by the Aerospace Organization, then the SEPAH command plans the routes and targets of the drones. The flight and control phase is also under SEPAH's supervision, and attack operations and targeting are also within their authority.
The military hierarchy structure proves that the control of drones is solely at the disposal of official Iranian military units. Attacks with drones are not carried out without their coordination and command.
Thus, it is confirmed that the attack order was carried out under the directive of SEPAH commander Ahmad Vahidi-.
Ahmad Vahidi was born in Shiraz in 1958 and joined SEPAH after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He quickly assumed the position of deputy for internal security in SEPAH's intelligence division. In the 1980s, during the Iran-Iraq War, he served as the head of intelligence and participated in the establishment of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security.
The establishment of the "Quds" Force holds a special place in Vahidi's career. This is an elite SEPAH structure that conducts operations outside Iran. Vahidi is considered the first commander of this unit. His successor was later Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by the US in 2020.
Vahidi's name is associated with the AMIA bombing, the largest antisemitic terrorist act in Latin America. On July 18, 1994, a bombing at the Argentine Jewish Cultural Center in Buenos Aires resulted in 85 deaths and over 300 injuries.
In 2006, Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman determined that the decision regarding the terrorist act was made at the highest level of the Iranian leadership. The Argentine court issued international arrest warrants for 9 Iranian and Lebanese officials, including Vahidi. INTERPOL still maintains a "red notice" for him.
Despite this, Vahidi continued his career in the Iranian leadership. In 2005, he became Deputy Minister of Defense, and from 2009 to 2013, he served as Minister of Defense during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency. His appointments caused international protests, and in 2011, Bolivia was forced to remove him from an official event due to a diplomatic scandal.
In 2021, Vahidi was appointed Minister of Interior in Ebrahim Raisi's government. He is considered a staunch supporter of Ali Khamenei and a proponent of the most radical line against Israel and the US. Some of his previous statements have drawn attention. For instance, he stated that if Iran's nuclear facilities were attacked, Israel would cease to exist. After the killing of Qasem Soleimani, he declared that "a response that will take the Americans' breath away" would be given.
The appointment of an individual with such experience to lead SEPAH indicates that the Iranian regime has no intention of softening its policies, even if military infrastructure is targeted. Moreover, the danger posed by a person who is internationally wanted and accused of mass killings of civilians leading one of the country's main military structures was confirmed today by the attack on Nakhchivan.
