AZE.US
Azerbaijan has sent another batch of humanitarian aid to Iran, dispatching 82 tons of food products, medicines and medical supplies in what appears to be both a relief effort and a signal that Baku is keeping humanitarian channels open with its southern neighbor.
The shipment was sent on March 18 on the instructions of President Ilham Aliyev and follows a March 8 phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to Azerbaijani media reports.
Officials said the cargo includes 76 tons of food products, 4 tons of medicines and 2 tons of medical supplies. The aid is being delivered by five cargo trucks. Because the shipment is arriving on the eve of Nowruz, festive gifts and holiday products were also added.
The move marks Azerbaijan’s second humanitarian delivery to Iran this month. An earlier shipment sent on March 10 included nearly 30 tons of food, along with water, tea, medicines and medical supplies.
Iran’s ambassador to Azerbaijan, Mojtaba Demirchilou, thanked Baku for the assistance and described the delivery as a meaningful gesture ahead of Nowruz. He also said Azerbaijan was the first country to join the relief effort, calling that especially significant for Tehran.
Beyond the humanitarian dimension, the shipment also carries diplomatic weight. It comes at a time when Azerbaijan-Iran ties remain sensitive, and the decision to continue aid deliveries suggests Baku is trying to separate humanitarian engagement from broader regional friction. This last point is an inference based on the timing of the shipment, the leaders’ call and the fact that this is already the second delivery in eight days.