Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized the deep cultural and historical ties Iran shares with its neighbors, particularly Azerbaijan. He expressed frustration with the state of relations, stating, "Azerbaijan is our native land! How is it that I cannot go there and reach any agreement? We cannot establish contact, but Israel can?" Pezeshkian urged reflection on why Iran has been unable to establish stronger ties with its "brothers and sisters."

He stressed that improving relations with neighbors is a primary task for his government. While acknowledging Iran's "trauma" of viewing Azerbaijan's foreign relations with suspicion, he affirmed Azerbaijan's sovereignty. "The Republic of Azerbaijan is an independent state and it has the right to establish relations with all countries of the world," he stated. He also noted that there was no evidence of Israel using Azerbaijani territory against Iran during a recent conflict. These remarks were made on July 31 and August 1. Separately, on July 31, Azerbaijani and Iranian deputy foreign ministers met in Baku to discuss enhancing cooperation.