The Geopolitical Implications of the Karabakh Crisis for the Relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Caucasus

The Karabakh crisis, which flared again with the Azerbaijani army's attacks on Armenian forces in the region on 20th of November in 2020, is rooted in the crises and differences between the Armenian and Azerbaijani people since the formation of the Soviet Union. The second Karabakh war ended 44 days after the victory of the Azerbaijani army and the signing of a tripartite ceasefire agreement by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on the 20th of November. These wars and conflicts, which after a period of intense conflict eventually led to a temporary ceasefire between the two countries, with the intervention of Russia, took place while ambiguities and important questions remained unanswered about the past, present and future of the Caucasus geopolitical region and the implications of current developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis for neighboring countries. In recent decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has not been able to take advantage of the geopolitical opportunities in Central Asia and the Caucasus as it should. Now, the issue that rapid and serious developments have taken place in the Caucasus, especially in the relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia, has paved the way for new dual conditions for Iranian politicians and has created opportunities and reciprocal threats that, if not dealt with intelligently, will not only have no benefits for Iran, but it will inflict heavy losses on our country. The issues addressed in this article as the geopolitical implications of the 2020 Karabakh war are considerations and concerns which might may create problems for Iran in the future. It goes without saying that the active presence and strong diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in this region, especially in the current sensitive situation, can turn many of the existing threats into opportunities and eliminate the existing concerns. It should be noted that the Karabakh crisis and its developments so far show a deeper and broader policy for the entire Greater Caucasus and even Southwest Asia, a deep policy whose geopolitical implications can be very influential for some regional actors such as Iran.