An Analysis of Iran-Armenia Relations Using Security Theories (Copenhagen School and Neoclassical Defensive Realism Theory)

Abstract

Following the disintegration of the Soviet Union, new states emerged in Central Asia and the Caucasus. Armenia and Azerbaijan are two countries resulting from the collapse of the Soviet Union in the South Caucasus region and adjacent to the Islamic Republic of Iran. In one hand the constant tension in the relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia is due to Karabakhcrisis, and on the other hand it is due to the union and collusion with Turkey, which has committed genocide during the First World War in the Ottoman era. Whereas, Iran despite its historical and ethnic ties with the Azerbaijanis of Azerbaijan, has chosen Armenia in line with its foreign policy and has established extensive ties in various dimensions between the two sides. The main question of the presentstudy is that why Iran has chosen Armenia in its foreign policy despite Iran'sproximity to Azerbaijan. The research hypothesis is that the convergence and common interests of Armenia and Iran as well as the common threat posed by Azerbaijan to both countries have deepened relations between the two countries. Theories of security studies (the Copenhagen school and theory ofneoclassical realism) were used as the theoretical framework in the present study.