Category: Azerbaijan

Tensions Mount Over Russia-Patrolled Land Corridor Linking Armenia, Azerbaijan

Tensions between Baku and Yerevan have mounted in recent weeks over a Russian-patrolled land corridor linking Armenia to the next-door Nagorno-Karabakh region. Although most of Nagorno-Karabakh’s roughly 120,000 inhabitants are ethnic Armenians, the region is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. Yerevan accuses Azerbaijan of blocking its only land route to the region—the so-called Lachin…


Pérez Wins F1 Sprint in Baku, Verstappen Confronts Russell

BAKU, Azerbaijan—Max Verstappen confronted George Russell in the pit lane following a collision as his teammate Sergio Pérez won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix sprint race on Saturday. Red Bull remains the team to beat in Formula One, with Pérez first and Verstappen third in the sprint, but Verstappen was unhappy after Russell left a hole…


At Least 3 Police Officers Killed in Nagorno-Karabakh Clash

MOSCOW—A shootout between Azerbaijani soldiers and police of Nagorno-Karabakh, a separatist ethnic Armenian region, killed at least three people Sunday, according to Armenia’s Interior Ministry. The two sides gave differing accounts of what happened. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said the shootout occurred when soldiers went to check vehicles suspected of transporting weapons along an auxiliary dirt…


Azerbaijan Strongly Protests to Iran After Fatal Embassy Shooting

BAKU—A gunman shot dead a security guard and wounded two other people at Azerbaijan’s embassy in Iran on Friday, in an attack Baku branded an “act of terrorism” that it said was the result of Tehran failing to heed its calls for improved security. Police in Tehran said they had arrested a suspect and Iranian…


Journalists in Exile: The Weight of Truth-Telling, From the Middle East

The number of journalists imprisoned worldwide hit a new record in 2022, with China leading the pack, continuing its crackdown on Hong Kong. Less well known: the situation in Turkey for the free press is devastating. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Turkey is now the biggest jailor of reporters in the world. Many say…


Hosting Putin, Armenian Leader Complains of Lack of Help From Russian-Led Alliance

LONDON—Armenia’s leader vented his frustration on Wednesday at the failure of a Russian-led security alliance to come to his country’s aid in the face of what he called aggression by Azerbaijan. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called into question the effectiveness of the six-nation Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in pointed opening remarks to a summit…


Azerbaijan to Become First Muslim Shi’ite Country to Open Embassy in Israel

Azerbaijan will be opening an embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, after its Parliament approved the decision on Nov. 18 in what officials say will help improve continued economic relations and cooperation between the two nations. The move would make Azerbaijan—which shares borders with Iran, Russia, Armenia, Georgia, and Turkey—the first Shiite majority country to do so. Both Azerbaijan…


Pelosi Visits Armenia, Condemns ‘Illegal and Deadly Attacks’

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and a delegation of lawmakers visited Armenia in the midst of fresh clashes with neighboring Azerbaijan that killed more than 200 troops, according to U.S. officials. While speaking in Yerevan, Armenia, Pelosi condemned the “illegal and deadly attacks by Azerbaijan on Armenian territory” that triggered border fighting. “We strongly condemn those attacks,” she…


More Than 200 Killed in Armenia-Azerbaijan Border Clashes: Officials

More than 200 service personnel were killed in border clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan this week, according to new figures from both countries on Friday. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan blame each other for the fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region—the deadliest clashes between them since a six-week war in 2020 left thousands dead. Armenia’s Prime…


Cease-Fire Holds Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

YEREVAN, Armenia—A cease-fire between Armenia and Azerbaijan held Thursday following two days of fighting that killed 176 soldiers from both sides. Armen Grigoryan, the secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, said the truce brokered thanks to international mediation took effect at 8 p.m. Wednesday. A previous cease-fire that Russia brokered Tuesday had quickly failed. Armenia’s Defense…