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RFL/RE – A hacking group has released a batch of what it claims are classified Iranian government documents, some of which revealed new details of an attack early this year on the Azerbaijani Embassy in Tehran.
The hackers, known as Uprising Until Overthrow and affiliated with the exiled opposition Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO), posted some of the documents on the Telegram messaging app on May 30. The MKO is considered a terrorist group by Tehran.
RFE/RL could not immediately verify the authenticity of the materials, some of which were undated and marked “very confidential,” indicating they could be drafts.
Iran’s Presidential Office has dismissed reports of a cyberattack on its website, but it said there was some temporary downtime on it due to ongoing maintenance and the unveiling of an upgraded version of the site.
Azerbaijan has not officially commented on the reports.
Relations between Tehran and Baku have become increasingly strained in recent months, particularly after an armed attack on Baku’s embassy in Tehran in January.
Azerbaijan halted the operation of its embassy in Iran after a security guard was killed and two others were wounded when a gunman opened fire on its grounds. Baku blamed the January 27 attack on the Iranian secret service and called it an “act of terrorism.”
Some of the documents released by the hacking group offer previously unknown details of the embassy attack, including specifics about the identity and history of the attacker, his “ideological relations” with “Chechens,” his interrogation, and some of his family members.
The leaks also said a police patrol left the scene of the embassy shooting after it took place. According to the documents, there was a 20-minute delay in law enforcement arriving at the scene.
In the aftermath of the attack, Azerbaijani diplomats and their families were quickly evacuated from Iran, sparking a severe diplomatic dispute. The leaked document suggests that the attack not only closed “windows of hope for improving relations” but pushed the trajectory of the bilateral relationship toward further escalation.
Tensions were further heightened following a failed assassination attempt in Baku on an Azerbaijani parliamentarian who has been critical of Iran.
Some of the leaked documents indicated an urgent need for a re-evaluation of Iran’s diplomatic ties with Azerbaijan. The confidential document was purportedly dispatched to several top officials, including the foreign minister and the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.
The documents also give advice on strategic communication tactics, including attempts to distance Azerbaijani society from its government, sensitizing Russia to Azerbaijan’s movements, and attributing Azerbaijan’s policies from Iran to “Zionist” influences.
Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL’s Radio Farda
