The Challenges and Opportunities in Iran's Having Strategic Depth in the Republic of Azerbaijan

Along with considerable opportunities that exist for Iran to have strategic depth in Azerbaijan, there are major challenges in this way as well. The Aim of this paper is to survey these opportunities and challenges in the Republic of Azerbaijan after its independence in 1991. Through a descriptive-analytic method, this paper tries to answer a crucial question: What kind of opportunities are there in Azerbaijan republic for Iran's favorite process? What challenges are there in this way? The results of the study show that there are positive responses to above questions. But in practice, Iran hasnt been able to seize these opportunities neither to overcome the challenges to have its strategic influence there. Among many internal and environmental challenges of Azerbaijan for Iran's influence, we can refer to its sovereignty system, mental ideological and political impressions, and the ever increasing presence of regional and meta-regional players in the Republic of Azerbaijan.