Knowledge Tree
Relations (1)
related 3.17 — strongly supporting 8 facts
The Middle East and the South Caucasus are linked through their shared status as regional subsystems adjacent to Iran [1], which acts as a geopolitical bridge between them [2]. Their relationship is further defined by Iran's strategic balancing act, where its foreign policy priorities in the Middle East [3] and security concerns regarding regional alliances [4] directly influence its engagement and perception within the South Caucasus [5].
Facts (8)
Sources
A Status Quo Power in a Changing Region: Iran's Regionalism in ... cambridge.org 8 facts
claimIran is unlikely to adopt an active regionalist stance in the South Caucasus as long as the Middle East remains the focal point of its foreign policy.
claimExternal pressures, including ongoing international sanctions, ideological and security preoccupations with the Arab Middle East, and deteriorating relations with Western powers, have impeded Iran's ability to project geopolitical influence or formulate a strategy for regional integration in the South Caucasus.
claimDue to Iran's confrontational foreign policy toward the post-Cold War liberal international order and its actions in the Middle East, states in the South Caucasus perceive Iran's regional policy as aggressive and interventionist.
claimIran views the South Caucasus as strategically connected to the Caspian Sea and Central Asia on one side, and the Middle East on the other.
claimTehran is concerned that the de facto alliance between Israel, Turkey, and Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus mirrors US efforts to contain Iran in the Middle East.
claimUnlike the Middle East, the South Caucasus is not considered part of Iran's strategic depth from an ideological standpoint.
claimIran serves as a geopolitical bridge between the Persian Gulf and the broader Middle East, and South Asia, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus.
claimIran is situated adjacent to five regional subsystems: the Persian Gulf, the Middle East, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and the Indian subcontinent.