Iran and Azerbaijan’s Rapprochement Is Gaining Momentum

On July 15, Azerbaijan announced it was resuming consular services astatine a recently relocated embassy successful Iran, aft having suspended them successful early 2023. The determination culminates a rapprochement betwixt nan neighboring countries aft a bid of developments led to an almost full breakdown of negotiated relations.

The proximate origin of that breakdown was an battle connected nan Azerbaijani Embassy astatine its erstwhile location successful Tehran successful January 2023, erstwhile a lone attacker killed 1 personification and wounded respective others. But a scope of much important factors laic down Baku’s determination to suspend its negotiated operations successful Iran.

Bilateral relations had already grown tense aft Azerbaijan defeated Armenia successful nan second Nagorno-Karabakh war successful 2020, leaving it successful position to push for nan alleged Zangezur Corridor—a transition done Armenian territory on nan Iranian separator that Baku has agelong sought to link Azerbaijan pinch its Nakhchivan exclave. The corridor would efficaciously artifact Iran’s onshore way to Armenia, connected which it depends arsenic a nexus to Georgia and nan Black Sea.