Consequences of geopolitical developments in the Caucasus on Iran's security environment (after the 2020 war)

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the declaration of independence under the Soviet rule, due to the existence of nationalist tendencies, the existence of crises, internal challenges, weakness in state-nation building, the entry of foreign actors and these actors with a combination of which some of them are conflicting, the stability and security of the South Caucasus and Central Asia region has faced challenges. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the geopolitical changes that took place in the Caucasus region were a factor that made the geopolitical factors of this region more important and influential. Considering Iran's neighborhood and historical and cultural similarities with this region, the geopolitical factors of the Caucasus can be considered influential on the national security of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The question that arises is what consequences has the recent crisis had for Iran, especially in its security environment? The main hypothesis of this article, in order to answer this question, is that recent developments and changes that have taken place can have effects on Iran's economy, politics, and security environment, and confront Iran's security environment with challenges from regional and trans-regional actors. This article is a qualitative research and uses an explanatory method to examine the issue that the recent crisis will have effects on the countries of the region, especially on Iran, which is located in its security periphery, and that the competition between great powers in the South Caucasus region has caused Iran's security periphery to face challenges from regional and trans-regional actors.