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Iran, Azerbaijan hold Aras-2025 joint military drill
The "Aras-2025" exercise, running through May 21, involves Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and Azerbaijani troops, IRNA reported.
The drill was being held in areas of Karabakh previously disputed with Armenia before Azerbaijan regained control in September 2023.
"This drill is a key step in boosting border security and confronting potential threats," said Brigadier General Vali Madani of the IRGC’s Ground Force.
Last month, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian made a visit to Baku, where he met his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev.
"Iran will make efforts to ensure that its relations with Azerbaijan are strategic across all spheres," Pezeshkian said at the time.
Tehran has been strongly opposed to the so-called Zangezur corridor linking Azerbaijan to Turkey which would run along Iran's border with Armenia.
In November, special units of the IRGC’s Ground Force and the elite divisions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched a large-scale joint military exercise to enhance security cooperation and strengthen counter-terrorism efforts between the two nations.
The four-day drill, codenamed “Aras Joint Exercise,” was held in the high-terrain regions of Aslan Duz County in Iran’s northwestern province of Ardabil.