TEHRAN – Iran and Azerbaijan have launched a joint military exercise dubbed “Aras 2025” in the recently liberated areas of Karabakh, aimed at bolstering border security and enhancing joint preparedness against potential threats.

The drill, taking place from May 18 to 21, involves special forces from Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Ground Forces and the Azerbaijani Army. 

Iranian Deputy Commander for Operations of the IRGC Ground Forces and commander of the drill, Brigadier General Vali Ma’dani, described the exercise as “a significant step toward reinforcing the security of shared borders and countering possible threats.”

A select IRGC special forces battalion, accompanied by a senior military delegation, crossed into Azerbaijan earlier today via the Bileh-Savar land border crossing in Iran’s Ardabil Province to take part in the operation.

Following an official welcome ceremony, senior military officials from both countries convened to review the objectives, scenarios, operational zones, and multi-phase structure of the joint drill.

General Ma’dani emphasized the strategic value of the joint exercise, highlighting the readiness of Iranian forces to engage in regional cooperation to address border security concerns.

Iran’s high-ranking military delegation also reiterated its commitment to future joint exercises aimed at responding to any emerging border threats.

This latest maneuver follows a similar joint exercise held in November of last year, when Azerbaijani special forces and an elite IRGC battalion conducted drills in Iran’s Aslanduz region in Ardabil Province. The four-day drill, codenamed “Aras Joint Exercise,” began on November 24 and aimed to enhance military capabilities in line with agreements made between the two sides to promote their mutual interests.

Armenia and Azerbaijan in March agreed on the text of a peace agreement to end nearly four decades of conflict between the South Caucasus countries, with Yerevan agreeing to surrender its claim to Karabakh.

The long-disputed region of Karabakh was at the center of two costly wars between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2020 and the 1990s. The region has always been internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, whose troops retook it in a 24-hour offensive.