The joint military exercises of Iran and Azerbaijan show the growth of mutual trust between the two countries, "and if God wills, it will become a turning point in the history of Iran and Azerbaijan, in establishing peace and security in this sensitive region." This was stated by Ali Akbar Velayati, foreign policy advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran, NourNews reports.

Velayati called the aforesaid military exercises an important event, which "testifies to the growing strengthening of brotherly relations and neighborliness between Iran and Azerbaijan."

The foreign policy advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran added that after the developments in Ukraine in recent years, the US has planned to penetrate into the South Caucasus under the guise of NATO and create an alternative that would divert Russia's attention from Ukraine to the South Caucasus.

"Iran has resolutely resisted the influence of America and its regional allies and prevented the formation of this conspiracy along its northwestern borders, as a result of which NATO would have created a permanent threat to Iran's territorial integrity," Velayati noted.

He emphasized that the West has taken actions that have shown that it and NATO "do not have the right intentions regarding the South Caucasus."

"Iran's opposition to the opening of the ‘Zangezur corridor’ [via Armenia] was due to the fact that the West wants to organize communication from east to west through Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea, and Central Asia. Only Iran has realized the depth of this conspiracy. Unlike the West, Iran really wants welfare for its Azerbaijani brothers.

It took time for mutual understanding on this matter, and now we have reached common results, and three joint military exercises have been carried out over the course of several months. It indicates the growth of mutual trust between the two countries," said the foreign policy advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran.