|
|
|
|
Policy analysis of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict has relied, often unreflectively, on a narrow set of Western-brokered settlements as its comparative reference points. Yet these cases carry with them assumptions that bear little resemblance to the post-Soviet realities of the region. The result has been a policy conversation that is well-furnished with precedent but poorly matched…
Executive Summary: Railway officials from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan met in Ashgabat on February 10 to strengthen operational coordination in developing the Middle Corridor, signing a protocol that prioritizes digital transformation, data exchange, and bottleneck diagnostics. Uzbekistan’s deepening integration, combined with the construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway, will cut Asia-Europe transit distances significantly, materially…
The South Caucasus region has been one of the important issues on the international security agenda over the past decades. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which lasted for many years and ended with Azerbaijan liberating its territories from occupation in 2020, has created new realities in the region. In the post-war period, a peace…
The South Caucasus is once again confronting a rapidly deteriorating security environment as major geopolitical rivalries unfold on its borders. To the north, the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, while to the south, the confrontation between Iran and the United States/Israel has escalated through missile strikes, drone warfare, and retaliatory operations. Wedged geographically between…
Executive Summary: Iranian drones launched from Iranian territory struck Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on March 5, damaging civilian infrastructure near the international airport and a school. Baku condemned the attack as terrorism and demanded explanations, an apology, and accountability from Tehran. Azerbaijan rejected Iran’s denial of responsibility, citing technical monitoring confirming the drones’ Iranian origin….
The South Caucasus managed the geopolitical rivalries surrounding it remarkably well in 2025. Despite intensifying global competition and conflicts raging beyond its borders, the region avoided major military escalation and even made notable progress toward stability. For the first time in more than three decades, there were no deadly interstate clashes among the three South…
Rusif Huseynov contributed chapter to a newly published book — Turkey in Eurasia: Endeavors and Encounters. He is co-author of Chapter 11: “Political Economy of Turkey’s Policies in Eurasia,” alongside Anar Valiyev and Shujaat Ahmadzada. This book provides an analysis of Turkish foreign policy towards Eurasia in the post-Soviet era. Focussing on the sub-regions of the…
Since the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century, Central Asia started to form a common agenda and shared positions on logistics, transportation, energy, security and foreign policy. The C5 format, which traditionally unites five Central Asian countries, is gradually transforming from being a consultation platform to discuss minor issues to an instrument…
Iranian Arash-2 drones hit an airport and landed near a school in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave on March 5, marking a significant tension in Baku-Tehran relations. The drone attack came on the heels of an expanding theater of war between Iran and the U.S.-Israel forces, as Tehran has increasingly targeted civilian and energy infrastructure across the…
We can reasonably assume now that the drone attack on the Nakhchivan region of Azerbaijan was not a so-called flag operation by Israel or the US. It was a deliberate action by Iran. The question remains whether the decision was made in Tehran or at a lower command, but judging from the unofficial accounts associated…
