Islamic Republic of Iran and the Geopolitics of the South Caucasus

The profound changes in the political geography of South Caucasus following the collapse of the Soviet Union led to serious transformations in the contour of regional and international politics. In the light of its historical ties with the peoples of this region and relying on its neighborhood with the countries, the Islamic Republic of Iran expanded its political-economic ties with South Caucasian states. With the independence of these countries, the Caucasian region was exposed to confrontation of regional and global powers. The main thrust of the present paper is to provide answer to the following question: How has the Islamic Republic of Iran utilized the geopolitical opportunities created after the independence of these countries? Attempts have been made to discuss the changes in the relations of Iran with the South Caucasian countries in the light of the geopolitical factors affecting these relations.