Iran and Azerbaijan: From intensifying differences to strengthening relations

Eslam Mohamed

Both Iran and Azerbaijan have decided to open a new phase of their bilateral relations, overcoming the differences that erupted during the last period, as the tensions between them reached the brink of war due to Tehran’s siding with Armenia in its conflict with Azerbaijan and the establishment of Shiite militias in the latter’s lands.

The Iranian security services had formed Husseinyoun militias from a group of Azeri Shiites, which caused tensions between the two countries that reached their maximum when Baku received significant military support from Turkey and conducted maneuvers between the two armies near the northern Iranian border.

But Tehran and Baku recently agreed to calm tensions between them and start economic cooperation projects. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian visited the Azeri capital with the aim of reaching an agreement that includes opening a new chapter in relations between the two countries after the tension that prevailed earlier this year.

During his official visit to Baku, Amir-Abdollahian met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Parliament Speaker Sahiba Gafarova to hold talks on cooperation between the two countries.

During the recent political crisis between the two countries, Baku closed religious centers attempting to spread Shiism and recruit Azeri youth, and it also arrested members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on its soil.

Relations between Azerbaijan and Iran witnessed tangible tension in October, which began with Baku suddenly imposing tough tariffs on Iranian trucks transporting fuel to the city of Stepankert, the capital of the Karabakh region, a unilaterally proclaimed republic supported by Armenia.

At that time, the Iranian army mobilized its forces on the border, and Amir-Abdollahian accused the Azeris of harboring Israeli elements in the region since the time of the battles in Karabakh in 2020. Tehran confirmed that it would not accept the presence of any Israeli forces near its borders.

Tehran has entered into intensive talks with Baku in order to increase cooperation in energy projects, especially the electricity sector, as it hopes to adopt the route through Baku to access European markets.

The Iranian Ministry of Energy announced a plan to build a joint power plant with Azerbaijan, develop and continue electricity exchange between the two sides, and conduct studies on cooperation between Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia in the field of electricity.