TEHRAN : Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Iran, Ali Alizadeh, announced the move on social media, confirming that the first Azerbaijan Airlines flight took off on the Baku–Tabriz–Baku route. These flights will initially operate twice a week, with Baku–Tehran–Baku services also restarting immediately.

The resumption comes after several years of halted air connectivity and follows recent efforts to normalize relations. Ties between the two nations had been strained by political disputes and worsened in early 2023, when an armed attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran left the chief security officer dead and two guards injured. Relations began to improve after Iranian authorities executed the attacker and President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Baku.

Deputy flights are expected to provide greater ease of travel, enhance trade and cultural exchanges, and symbolize a thaw in diplomatic tensions. According to Ambassador Alizadeh, the flights reflect the direct instructions of the Azerbaijani President and underline the two countries’ willingness to rebuild cooperation.