TEHRAN – Iran on Friday criticized Azerbaijan’s “harsh, emotional and non-constructive” decision to expel four Iranian diplomats, saying the Islamic Republic will reciprocate it. “We consider this behavior of the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan in conflict with the principles of neighborliness,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said. “While the crisis and chaos have engulfed the occupied Palestinian territories and the Zionist regime is in the most unstable internal conditions, and at a time when the said regime attacks fasting Muslims and desecrates Al-Aqsa Mosque with the aim of 

concealing multi-layered crises in the occupied territories, the Islamic Republic of Iran considers focusing on the unity of the Islamic world and at the same time confronting the normalization of relations with the criminal and occupying regime of Israel as a necessity and a religious and conscientious obligation,” he said.
“Emphasizing the observance of the principles and foundations of the neighborhood policy and paying attention to the sinister goals of the Zionist regime in creating differences and tension in the relations between Islamic countries, the Islamic Republic of Iran has also diplomatic reciprocity on its agenda,” he added.