Why Iran fears Azerbijan

Although, Azerbaijan is a Shiite country. The Azeri ethnic is a large minority in Iran. Azeri Iranians complain that the authorities in Tehran do not fully respect their rights. But Iranian regime fears the strength of the Azeri minority. Tehran’s approach shows that Azerbaijan's development poses a threat to Iran, which will provide a source of foreign support for the Azeri ethnic minority at home. The Azeri are not few in Iran but have good relations with other minorities. Therefore, in order for these Azeri Iranians to live in despair of foreign support, the Iranian government is supporting Armenia against Azerbaijan, which is in conflict with the views of other neighbors such as Afghanistan, Turkey, Pakistan and Iraq. Azerbaijan's victory over Armenia gives the country new direction and strength that may become a source of support for other Azeri ethnics abroad. The United States and its allies, including Turkey, support Azerbaijan in overcoming the crisis. Tehran is concerned that Azerbaijan’s favorable outcome will provoke anti-Tehran tensions within Iran, which will not be easy to prevent. Tehran is already under intense pressure, one of which is the Bahrain and United Arab Emirates’ relationship, which has begun recently with Israel. The return of the Taliban to Afghanistan is also not good news for Tehran in the long run. The presence of the United States and its allies in Azerbaijan, however, is like a stomach ache in Tehran that deprives one of sleep.

View expressed in this article are of the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Pajhwok’s editorial policy.