Examining the System of State Responsibility and Accountability for Embassies with Emphasis on the Armed Attack on the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran in 2023

Abstract

According to international law, the actions and conduct of private individuals cannot be considered state conduct because these individuals do not hold any official position on behalf of the state. Therefore, the state is only responsible for the actions and conduct of its officials and representatives. Regarding the incident involving the armed attack on the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran in 2023, considering that the assailant acted out of personal hostility towards the Azerbaijani ambassador and carried out the shooting independently, the Islamic Republic of Iran responded decisively to the assailant from a legal and judicial perspective. Consequently, no responsibility can be attributed to the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, when private individuals act on behalf of a state or are perceived as acting under the authority of a state, their actions can be attributed to the state. Additionally, the state bears responsibility when it fails to take judicial action against perpetrators. Furthermore, the conduct of state officials is not attributable to the state if it pertains to their private lives rather than their official duties. Nevertheless, such actions can form the basis of state responsibility under international law if state authorities fail to anticipate, prevent, or punish such conduct. Public and state officials are also responsible for failing to fulfill their duties and for compensating damages caused by such failures.