Azerbaijan welcomes Iran mediation in Karabakh dispute

Azerbaijan says Iran has offered help to resolve the dispute over the Karabakh region, an area internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan which is being claimed by Armenia.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Elkhan Polukhov welcomed Tehran’s offer on Friday, expressing hope that Iran’s assistance can lead to a resolution based on international law.

On Thursday Azerbaijan warned that a great war could be imminent if Armenia does not withdraw its troops from the disputed region.

Both Azerbaijan and Armenia claim the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is largely populated by Armenians but located in Azerbaijan.

Armenia took control of Nagorno-Karabakh after a short but bloody war with Azerbaijan that killed around 30,000 people in the early 1990s.

A ceasefire was agreed in 1994, but the dispute remains unresolved despite years of international mediation.