Armenia denies using Iranian-made drones against Azerbaijan

Asked by an Armenian lawmaker if the Armenian military was using Iranian-made drones, Pashinyan said reports to that effect were psychological warfare meant to undermine Yerevan’s relations with Western governments.

“Everyone knows that the West views countries’ military cooperation with Iran negatively and the spread of these rumors are meant to sabotage Yerevan’s ties with the West,” he said.

Earlier, the Armenian Defense Ministry had rejected reports in Azerbaijani media that Yerevan was deploying Iranian-made drones in clashes with Azerbaijani forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh.

“There are no Iranian drones in the arsenal of the Armenian Armed Forces,” the ministry had said.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over Nagorno-Karabakh since their independence from the Soviet Union more than 30 years ago. The contested region is Armenian-populated but controlled by Azerbaijan.

The countries’ last war was in 2020, when 6,500 people were killed and Armenia had to cede territory.

A flare-up of fighting has been ongoing in recent months, with each side accusing the other of provocation.