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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…
Executive Summary: On January 29, AzerEnerji began construction of the Zangezur Energy Corridor, which aims to integrate Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Region exclave into Azerbaijan’s national energy grid via the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), also known as the Zangezur Corridor. The energy corridor’s goal is to enhance Azerbaijan’s domestic energy security while…
Developments in Azerbaijan’s energy sector throughout 2025 and early 2026 closely align with this assessment, reinforcing the country’s role not only as a stabilising gas supplier but also as an emerging hub for electricity transit and system balancing across multiple corridors. From the EU’s perspective, diversification remains the cornerstone of energy security. Despite the bloc’s…
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s February 9–11 visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan marked a structural turning point in the South Caucasus. Unlike previous high-level engagements of the United States that generated rhetorical alignment but limited follow-through, this visit embedded the region into long-term American economic, technological, and strategic frameworks. Taking place on the heels of…
The diplomatic activity of recent weeks outlines a strategic map of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy—its scale, tempo, and evolving priorities. The geography of engagement stretching from Baku to Munich, from Belgrade to Washington, demonstrates that Azerbaijan is no longer confined to a regional framework. It is positioning itself as a systemic actor operating between regional consolidation…
In the geopolitical landscape of Southeast Europe, the bilateral relationship between Azerbaijan and Serbia has evolved far beyond traditional diplomatic engagement, developing into a partnership with strategic depth. Recent statements by Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev during his February 15 visit to Belgrade underscore both the normative and practical foundations of this growing cooperation. Particularly, the…
In February 2026, Azerbaijan’s foreign policy doctrine entered a new phase marked by proactive, results-driven diplomacy. President Ilham Aliyev’s participation in the Munich Security Conference on 13–15 February, followed immediately by official engagements in Belgrade on 15 February, forms a single strategic trajectory that consolidates Baku’s position on the Eurasian geopolitical map as a middle…
The joint press statements delivered by U.S. Vice President James David Vance and President Ilham Aliyev mark a qualitatively new phase in U.S.–Azerbaijan relations. Viewed through a political-analytical lens, these statements reveal not merely diplomatic goodwill, but the political coding of a strategic recalibration in Washington’s approach to the South Caucasus. Vance’s assertion that the…
The South Caucasus is entering a new phase of regional energy reconfiguration as Azerbaijan moves forward with plans to transmit electricity to its Nakhchivan exclave through southern Armenia, along the Zangezur corridor. What was once understood mainly as a transport initiative is now, under the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), evolving into an…
