Iran deploys troops to border with Armenia and Azerbaijan

Smoke rises after the bombing by Azerbaijani artillery in Stepanakert, the capital of the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, on Saturday, October 24, 2020. AP Photo

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Iran has decided to deploy troops on its borders with Armenia and Azerbaijan after firing on its territory from Nagorno-Karabakh.

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With our correspondent in Tehran, 

The head of the Revolutionary Guards' ground forces, the elite Iranian army, announced the deployment of troops on the border with Nagorno-Karabakh to protect Iranian territory.

The

are in open conflict for control of the territory.

In recent weeks, rockets and mortar shells have hit Iranian villages originating from the conflict zone.

" 

" the foreign affairs spokesman tweeted in mid-October.

General Pakpour, commander of the Revolutionary Guards' ground forces also said Iran respects the territorial integrity of its neighbors and rejects any changes to its borders.

Ambivalent support in Baku

In recent weeks, several

that Nagorno-Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan.

These positions can no doubt be explained by the fact that Iran has a very large Azeri population, estimated at more than 30 million people out of a total population of 80 million.

But Tehran also criticizes the presence of extremist fighters sent to the region from Syria to support Baku, seeing it as a direct threat to its security.

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• Iran

• Armenia

• Azerbaijan

• Nagorno-Karabakh

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