Azerbaijan-Iran relations within the context of security policies

Since Azerbaijan Republic gained its independence, it was seen as an important and existential threat by Iran. As İran accepts Azerbaijan as a danger in terms of internal security, the steps towards Azerbaijan have been calculated to prevent the existence of this country as a strong and independent actor in the region. We will analyze the efforts of Iran to establish a center-periphery relationship between Azerbaijan and Iran within the framework its this goal of deploying itself as a leader among the Islamic countries with "Ummah" ideal. This research is aiming to review the threats from its border neighbor Iran perceived by Azerbaijan, which has chosen to pursue a secular and western progression way, and reflections of Iran's interventionist policies against its internal security, energy security and even territorial integrity on the foreign policy of Azerbaijan and bilateral relations with Iran. We will try to explain the reason for the sharp differences between the two countries in terms of internal political orientations and ideological aspects of the structural features of the states, despite centuries of historical bonds and common religious affiliations within the neoclassical realist framework. Taking into account the issue of South Azerbaijan in thesis, we will examine in detail the turbulent picture of the relations between the two countries, because of how the ideologies and discourses that changed during the different leaders sometimes affected the tension or stabilization of relations and the emerging of the political node. Despite these differences and conflicts of interest mentioned above, these two countries' cooperation which they have established as important economic partners in the region will be referred in this research.