Iran has expressed deep concern over the violation of a ceasefire on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, urging Azerbaijan and Armenia to respect the truce.
In a statement on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh condemned the rocket attacks on the urban infrastructures and residential areas during the conflict, which have led to the death of civilians, and expressed deep commiserations with the families of the victims of such attacks.
The spokesman called for self-restraint on the two sides of the conflict, Mehr news agency reported.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran once again calls on both sides to adhere to the ceasefire, resume their talks within the framework of international law and respect each other’s territorial integrity and evacuate the occupied cities.”
He also expressed Tehran’s readiness to facilitate talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia to solve the issue.
Azerbaijan and Armenia accuse each other of violating a freshly-clinched ceasefire between the two sides following nearly two weeks of intense fighting in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The contested region is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but it has been under the control of Armenian-backed separatists since the early 1990s.
The recent clashes – the worst in decades – erupted on September 27, with both Yerevan and Baku accusing each other of provocation. Since the onset of the clashes, hundreds of people have reportedly been killed, including many civilians.
On Friday evening, a temporary ceasefire, brokered by Russia, was achieved in Moscow after 11-hour talks.
Source: Iranian media
