Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan congratulate Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei
Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan have all congratulated Mojtaba Khamenei on his appointment as Iran’s new Supreme Leader while simultaneously maintaining a somewhat vague position on the ongoing war in Iran.
Mojtaba Khamenei was elected to the role by Iran’s Assembly of Experts on Sunday. He succeeded his father, Ali Khamenei, as Supreme Leader, after the latter’s assassination by the US on 28 February.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev sent a congratulatory letter to Khamenei on Monday, expressing his condolences ‘once again on the tragic passing of [his] father’.
‘The relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Islamic Republic of Iran stem from the will of our peoples, who have historically lived in good neighbourliness and friendship. I express my hope that we will make joint efforts to develop our interstate relations in a spirit of mutual respect and trust in accordance with the interests of our peoples’, wrote Aliyev, according to pro-government media outlet APA.
His letter came after several Iranian drones struck Nakhchivan International Airport and a nearby school, injuring four people. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has officially denied his country’s involvement in the strike, but pledged to investigate it.
Nate Ostiller
Aliyev ‘underlined the importance’ of the investigation, in what was seen as a sign that both sides sought de-escalation. At the same time, a spokesperson for Iran’s military demanded that Azerbaijan ‘expel the Zionists’ from the country ‘in order to prevent the spread of insecurity in the region and not to endanger the security of its people and Islamic Iran’.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze sent his congratulatory letter on Tuesday, according to the government’s website.
While brief and seemingly generic, the ruling Georgian Dream party’s relations with the Iranian regime has come under criticism domestically and internationally.
Inside Georgia, several experts and critics have issued statements warning of Iran’s allegedly growing influence and activities in Georgia.
Israel, which enjoys traditionally friendly relations with Georgia, has also apparently condemned Georgian officials for offering condolences for Khamenei’s death at the Iranian Embassy.
Israel’s Embassy in Tbilisi issued a statement saying ‘some friendships are tested not only through kind words, but also in complex moments’. It condemned Iran as a producer of ‘terror’ against Israel, adding that ‘true friendship between peoples is measured by the ability to distinguish between those who choose the path of life, stability, and cooperation, and those who continue to cultivate terror, extremism, and violence’.
Armenian Prime Minister NikolPashinyan congratulated Khamenei on his election on Monday, similarly sending a brief letter in which he expressed confidence that ‘the strong ties between Armenia and Iran will continue to develop, achieving new success’.
Mikheil Gvadzabia
