Al-Monitor | Maysam Bizaer: The collapse of the Soviet Union led to the formation of a series of republics�in the Caucasus, including Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. Since these states' independence, Iran, which�regards the Caucasus as a strategic region, has sought friendly relations with them. It now enjoys �very good ties� with Armenia and �balanced relations� with Georgia.�In the case of Azerbaijan, bilateral relations have been maintained despite political tensions primarily revolving�around Baku�s�ties with Israel. In recent years, however, Tehran and Baku have begun to develop more extensive relations�than those between Iran and the two other Caucasus nations.


Jafar Khashe, a senior researcher at the Caucasus Studies Institute,�told Al-Monitor,��Since Azerbaijan�s independence, the Islamic Republic of Iran has supported it both in political and economic areas.�There were, however, some impediments in their ties, which hindered extensive cooperation. But�certain regional developments in recent years made Baku pay attention to the�Iran-Russia axis, an issue which was also welcomed by Iran, and finally resulted in the promotion of Tehran-Baku mutual relations.�

After the election of Hassan Rouhani as Iran�s president in 2013, bilateral ties with Azerbaijan experienced�a remarkable expansion, as his administration pursued interactions with other countries, especially neighboring states.�For a better understanding of how relations between the two countries have evolved in recent years, Al-Monitor spoke with Mohsen Pakaein, who served as Iran�s ambassador to Azerbaijan from late 2012 to August 2016.

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