Tehran says the Republic of Azerbaijan will soon reopen its embassy in Tehran following nearly 18 months of diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

The head of the Eurasia Department of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mojtaba Damirchiloo, made the announcement on Tuesday.

Damirchiloo said that Azerbaijan’s embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Iran will be reopened in a few days, within the next 15 to 20 days, and the ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan will return to Tehran.

Azerbaijan’s relations with Iran were strained in January last year following an attack on the country’s embassy in Tehran, which prompted Baku to close it and evacuate staff over what it called a “terrorist act.”

An initial Iranian investigation found that the attack was motivated by “personal and family-related problems.”
Iran’s martyred President Ebrahim Raeisi said on May 19 relations with Azerbaijan were stronger than just two neighbors.

He made the remarks alongside his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev during the inauguration ceremony of the Qiz Qalasi dam, which was built jointly by Iran and Azerbaijan on the Aras River at the common border.

“As Leader of the Islamic Revolution [Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei] said our relationship with the friendly, brotherly and neighboring country of Azerbaijan goes beyond neighborliness. Our relationship is a strong kinship bond that has roots in the beliefs of the two nations … and connects our history and civilization,” he said.

“This heartfelt relationship between the two countries and the two nations is unbreakable.”

In an interview with Baku TV, Iran's Ambassador to Azerbaijan Abbas Mousavi in March praised the “historical background” between the two neighboring countries and stressed that they would not allow “misunderstandings” to persist and sour their ties.

He also said the activities of the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Tehran will “soon” resume while announcing that a delegation has traveled to Tehran to make the preparations.