Azerbaijan reopened its land border with Iran for cargo traffic on March 9, APA reported, citing the Cabinet of Ministers.

The announcement comes four days after suspending all crossings following drone strikes on the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

All types of vehicles, including transit shipments, were permitted to cross the border from the morning of March 9.

The government had halted cross-border cargo movements under a cabinet decree issued on March 5 after drones struck Nakhchivan International Airport and landed near a school in Shakarabad village, injuring two civilians.

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) also resumed direct flights between Baku and Nakhchivan on March 9, with regular scheduled services set to return from March 10.

The airline said it was continuing to monitor the situation and would inform passengers of any further schedule changes.

The reopening came as Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei denied on March 9 that Iranian forces had launched the strikes on Nakhchivan, suggesting the attacks may have been "staged" provocations.

Iran's General Staff had earlier accused Israel of carrying out a "false flag" operation to damage relations between Muslim nations.

Azerbaijan attributed the strikes directly to Iran's armed forces and said they "will not go unanswered."

The Defence Ministry said response measures were being prepared, while the Foreign Ministry summoned the Iranian Ambassador, Mojtaba Demirchilou, and delivered a formal protest note.

Azerbaijan had also evacuated its embassy in Tehran and the consulate general in Tabriz on March 6 amid the escalating tensions.

Azerbaijan and Iran share a border of more than 700km, and Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani exclave, is bordered by Iran to the south and west.