Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Iran carried out drone attacks on the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on March 5, with one drone hitting the terminal building at Nakhchivan International Airport and another landing near a school in Shakarabad village, injuring two civilians, APA reported.

"We strongly condemn these drone attacks carried out from the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which resulted in damage to the airport building and injuries to two civilians," the ministry said in a statement.

Relations between Baku and Tehran have been strained in recent years, with Iran wary of Azerbaijan's growing ties to Israel and Turkey. Azerbaijan has served as a transit route for Russian citizens leaving Iran since the conflict began.

Azerbaijan demanded that Iran provide an explanation "within a short time" and take urgent measures to prevent a recurrence, saying the attack "contradicts the norms and principles of international law and contributes to increasing tensions in the region."

The ministry said it had summoned the Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Mojtaba Demirchilou, to receive a formal protest note. Azerbaijan said it "reserves the right to take appropriate response measures."

Nakhchivan is an Azerbaijani exclave bordered by Armenia, Turkey and Iran, separated from the rest of Azerbaijan. The autonomous republic's proximity to Iran has made it vulnerable to stray or misdirected munitions as the conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel intensifies.

The incident marks the first reported Iranian strike on Azerbaijani territory since the conflict began on February 28.

Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defence said it was preparing "necessary response measures" after Iranian armed forces struck Nakhchivan International Airport and other civilian infrastructure in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on March 5, APA reported.

"The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Azerbaijan strongly condemns the attacks carried out by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran against civilian infrastructure on the territory of Azerbaijan, despite the absence of any military necessity," the ministry said in a statement.

"Full responsibility for the incident lies with the Islamic Republic of Iran."

It was not immediately clear whether the drones were deliberately targeting Nakhchivan or were errant projectiles from operations in northwestern Iran, where US-Israeli strikes and Kurdish opposition activity have been concentrated in recent days.