The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don issued 425 convictions under Russia's "terrorism" laws in the first half of 2026, accounting for more than a third of all such rulings nationwide, according to a study by the human rights project First Department and the independent Parubets Analytics research centre.
A telephone conversation took place between the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Iran, Jeyhun Bayramov and Seyyed Abbas Araghchi. Bayramov insisted that Tehran fulfill its promise to investigate the drone attacks launched from its territory on the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
The parties agreed on the need to cease hostilities, avoid attacks on civilian targets, and resolve the issues through negotiations. Araghchi outlined Tehran's position on the United States and Israel, noting that these countries could resort to provocations to worsen Iranian-Azerbaijani relations.
On March 8, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, assuring him that the attack on Nakhchivan was not related to Iran and would be investigated. Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry reported an attack by four drones on March 5, but Tehran denies involvement, blaming Israel.