ERBIL — Azerbaijan has expelled four Iranian diplomats citing "provocative actions" as the reason for their expulsion. The move comes amid the increasingly strained relations between the two countries, fueled by Baku's growing ties with Israel, a major adversary of Iran.

Last week, Azerbaijan opened its embassy in Israel, and its improving relations with the Jewish state have angered Iran, which sees it as a betrayal. Azerbaijan has also suggested that Iran might have played a role in the recent assassination attempt of an Azerbaijani lawmaker, adding to the tensions between the two countries.

In a statement released on Thursday, Azerbaijan's foreign ministry said it had summoned Iran's ambassador to express "strong dissatisfaction with the recent provocative actions demonstrated by his country in relation to Azerbaijan." The ministry declared four Iranian diplomats "persona non grata" and gave them 48 hours to leave the country, as cited by Reuters.

Iran has criticized Azerbaijan's warming relations with Israel, a country with which it has no formal diplomatic ties, and accused it of being "anti-Iranian." Azerbaijan had earlier shut down its embassy in Tehran in January after an attack on its head of security.

Fazil Mustafa, a member of Azerbaijan's parliament who had previously called Iran a "terrorist state," was recently hospitalized after being shot with a Kalashnikov assault rifle. The incident has been described by Azerbaijan as a "terror attack."