However, amid the rising tensions, the international community has reacted to Sunday’s fighting between the two archenemies.

Iran called for an immediate end to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan after clashes between the two countries, a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by state TV, announcing Tehran’s readiness to help in establishing a ceasefire.

“Iran is closely monitoring the conflict with concern and calls for an immediate end to the conflict and the start of talks between the two countries,” Saeed Khatibzadeh said.

“Tehran is ready to use all its capacities to help talks to start between the two sides.”

Azerbaijan’s ally Turkey blamed Armenia for the flare-up and promised Azerbaijan its “full support”.

“While I call on the Armenian people to take hold of their future against their leadership that is dragging them to catastrophe and those using it like puppets, we also call on the entire world to stand with Azerbaijan in their battle against invasion and cruelty,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter, adding that Turkey will “increasingly continue” its solidarity with Baku.

France, a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group mediating between Armenia and Azerbaijan in a bid to find a peaceful solution to the decades-old Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, called on Yerevan and Baku to end hostilities and immediately restart dialogue.

“France is extremely concerned by the confrontation,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Agnes von der Muhll said in a statement.

Along with the United States and Russia, France is a co-president of the Minsk group.

Fellow Minsk Group co-chair Russia also called for an immediate ceasefire.

“We are calling on the sides to immediately halt fire and begin talks to stabilise the situation,” the Russian foreign ministry said.

Charles Michel, president of the European Council, called for a halt to fighting and an “immediate return to negotiations”.

“Military action must stop, as a matter of urgency, to prevent a further escalation,” Michel tweeted, calling for “an immediate return to negotiations, without preconditions”.

Germany also called for an “immediate” halt to the fighting, urging a return to dialogue to resolve the dispute.

“I call on both parties to the conflict to immediately stop all hostilities, especially the shelling of villages and towns,” Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement, voicing “alarm” at reports of civilian casualties.

“The conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region can only be resolved through negotiations,” added the German foreign minister, whose country currently holds the rotating European Union presidency.

Pope Francis said he is praying for peace in the Caucasus region.

“I pray for peace in the Caucasus and I ask the parties in the conflict to make gestures of goodwill and brotherhood that may lead to resolving problems not with the use of force and weapons, but through dialogue and negotiation,” the leader of the Roman Catholic Church said.