ABSTRACT
This chapter examines Iran's relations with its largest neighbour in the South Caucasus, the Republic of Azerbaijan, since its inception. It discusses the integration of the short-lived Azerbaijan Democratic Republic into the Soviet system and demonstrates that, while the Azerbaijan Soviet Republic had no sovereignty or independent foreign relations, it was a valuable asset for the Soviet Union's expansionist aspirations, particularly towards Persia (Iran). The chapter provides background on Azerbaijan's foreign policy, particularly in the post-independence era, and its relations with the main actors in the region during different administrations. It examines Iran’s bilateral relations with Azerbaijan, adopting Buzan’s sectoral security model. The chapter explains that, as a result of several misperceptions and miscalculations, Iran has failed to have a consistent, realistic and proactive policy towards Azerbaijan, which in turn has resulted in short-term, reactive policies. It concludes Iran-Azerbaijan relations based on the defensive realism theory of International Relations.
