Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Fereshteh Bahramipour ¹
• Mohammad Bagher Mokaramipour ²
• Azita Salehi ³

¹ PhD in International Relations, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economics, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

² PhD student in Political Studies of the Islamic Revolution, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Humanities, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.

³ PhD student in International Relations, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economics, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

Abstract

This study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the foreign policies of Iran and Turkey in the South Caucasus, seeking to identify the strategic differences between the two actors and examine the geopolitical implications of their approaches for the regional security structure.The central research question is: What goals and strategies have Iran and Turkey pursued in the South Caucasus, and how have their policies impacted the structure of the regional security complex? In response to this question, the article draws on the theory of regional security complexes to comparatively analyze the two countries’ policies across military, geoeconomic, identity-based, and diplomatic domains. The research employs an analytical-comparative method, using documentary and library sources. The findings of the study indicate that Iran has primarily acted with a deterrent, balancing, and stability-oriented approach in the South Caucasus, whereas Turkey, by leveraging both hard and soft power, has sought to redefine the regional security order in its favor. This strategic divergence has driven the South Caucasus security structure toward sustained competition between two distinct models of order-building, potentially leading to a new balance or instability in the region.

Keywords

• South Caucasus, Iran'
• s foreign policy, Turkey'
• s foreign policy, regional security complex, geopolitics

Main Subjects

• International Relations