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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…
The 44-day Patriotic War fundamentally recalibrated the power dynamics in the South Caucasus, redefining regional influence mechanisms. Particularly along the northern axis, the traditional architecture of geopolitical oversight has been significantly disrupted. Current threats are less about direct military confrontation and more about multi-layered, coordinated influence operations designed to shape political, economic, and informational environments….
Executive Summary: U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s February 9–11 visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan marked Washington’s most consequential engagement in the South Caucasus since the August 2025 peace summit. In Yerevan, Vance advanced a landmark U.S.–Armenia nuclear cooperation deal, backed AI technology and defense sales, and promoted TRIPP connectivity. In Baku, he signed a Strategic…
Situated at the crossroads of civilizations, cultures, and major transportation corridors stretching from east to west and north to south, and endowed with significant natural resources, the South Caucasus has historically occupied a central position in the geopolitical calculations of both regional and global powers. It is therefore no coincidence that American scholar Saul Bernard…
The Strait of Hormuz returned to the center of global strategic risk calculations following the launch of the “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz” exercise on February 16, 2026. During the drill, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy publicly stated that Iranian forces could close the waterway “upon orders from the…
The relationship between Türkiye and the European Union is facing a critical juncture. For many years, the sides benefitted from unique economic arrangements which brought them closer, most notably through the Customs Union established between them in 1995. However, despite generating numerous advantages, the relationship is widely acknowledged not to have maximized its full potential, writes Huseyn…
