“The Islamic Republic of Iran is closely and worriedly monitoring the military clashes between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia, calls on the two sides to exercise self-restraint, and urges an immediate end to the clashes and the launch of dialogue between the two states,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a statement on Sunday.

The spokesman also expressed Iran’s readiness to employ all of its capacities to help establish a ceasefire and start negotiations between the warring sides.

Heavy fighting between the military forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia broke out in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region early on Sunday.

Armenia and Armenian-controlled Nagorno-Karabakh declared martial law, while the Republic of Azerbaijan has ordered its military to mobilize.