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Iran, Azerbaijan Mired in Wrangling Over Caspian Oil Exploration
Iran and its neighbor Azerbaijan have been caught in a diplomatic row over the legality of Caspian oil exploration, since an Iranian warship chased an Azerbaijani survey vessel out of the disputed waters on Monday.
Tensions have already been running high between Tehran and Baku after an Iranian warship warned of using force when an Azerbaijani ship sailed into the waters claimed by Iran that day.
Reports in Tehran said that the Iranian ship trained its guns on the vessel Geophysics-3 and kept them ready to fire after signaling ultimatum.
Farsi-language daily Entekhab carried an allegation by Azerbaijan on Wednesday that an Iranian fighter also hovered around for two hours before the Azerbaijani survey ship headed back to Baku.
In response to Iran's move, British oil giant BP Amoco, which was operating the research craft under contracts with Azerbaijan State Oil Company, announced that it has put on hold its oil exploration in the disputed Alborz oil field, also known as Alov- Sharg-Araz to Azerbaijan.
Meanwhile, Baku does not keep silent on the incident as the geological survey vessel backed up.
Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizade summoned Iranian Ambassador Ahad Gazai the day after the incident to protest Iran's military interference in Azerbaijan's business activities.
Baku also demanded that Tehran clarify the incident, which it said "runs contrary to the friendly spirit of relations between the two countries."
It claimed that Iran was overacting and its military maneuver has "seriously violated international norms."
Tehran's stance on the issue is by no means less tough, Baku noted.
The Islamic republic had before filed a formal protest to the Azerbaijani charge d'affaires in Tehran, concerning Azerbaijan's carrying out exploration studies in the Alborz oil region.
Iranian Deputy Oil Minister for International Affairs Hossein Kazempour Ardebili said on Wednesday that the five Caspian Sea littoral states - Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan - should engage in exploration activities in areas without disputes, adding that tension escalation in the disputed waters serves nobody's interests.
Commenting on the standoff, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said on Tuesday that "we are deeply astonished with Azerbaijan's hue and cry against measures taken by Iran to defend its legitimate rights."
"Azerbaijan is expected to keep away from any action which may intensify misunderstandings," Asefi warned.
Iran has also vowed to "firmly defend its rights and interests, urging Azerbaijan to be committed to the treaties signed in 1921 and 1940 over the legal status of the Caspian."
Iran's Oil Ministry noted earlier that the country would not give green light to any unauthorized explorations, saying that such activities are "illegal."
The maritime incident occurred shortly after an official visit by Hassan Rohani, head of Iran's Supreme Council for National Security, to Baku to forge closer ties, as well as before Azerbaijani President Geidar Aliyev's visit to Tehran, due in August to discuss how to peacefully use the Caspian resources.
Iran has not been seeing eye to eye with Azerbaijan on ways of dividing up the energy-rich Caspian Sea, which is estimated to contain the world's third largest reserves of oil and gas after the Persian Gulf and Siberia.
Iran insists on an equal sharing of the sea among the five Caspian littoral countries. Azerbaijan, however, claims that the size of a country's share should depend on the length of its coastal line, which thus would give Iran a smaller slice.
The five Caspian states are scheduled to meet in Turkmen capital Ashkhabad in October to work out a legal regime for the waters.
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