Vali Kaleji
Dr. Vali Kaleji is an expert on Central Asia and Caucasian Studies in Tehran, Iran. His recent publications in Persian include: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO): Goals, Functions and Perspectives (2010), South Caucasus as a Regional Security Complex, (2014), Political Developments in the Republic of Armenia, 1988- 2013 (2014), Iran, Russia and China in Central Asia, Cooperation and Conflict with US Foreign Policy in Central Asia, (2015), US Foreign Policy in Central Asia: Process and Perspectives (2015) and Iran and the South Caucasus Republics (2017). His publications in English include:“Current Trends and Tendencies in the Political and Security Dimension of the North and South Caucasus: A View from Iran”, Vienna based European Institute for Counter Terrorism and Conflict Prevention (September 2020), “Expanding Armenia – Israel Relations: Implications for Iran’s Foreign Policy in the South Caucasus”, The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute (CACI), American Foreign Policy Council (September 10, 2020), “Eight Principles of Iran’s Foreign Policy towards The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict”, Valdai Discussion Club, Moscow (October 9, 2020) and “Nagorno-Karabakh: Transformation from an Ethnic-Territorial to Ethnic-Religious Conflict”, The Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), Moscow (October 21, 2020).
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Articles by Vali Kaleji
Russia and Iran Manage Diverging Interests in South Caucasus
Executive Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the wide-ranging Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership on January 17 to boost bilateral relations for further progress in
Iran’s Gas Export to Armenia: From Energy Imbalance in Iran to Russia’s Monopoly in the Armenian Gas Market
Executive Summary: The Iran-Armenia gas-for-electricity swap agreement allows both countries to address seasonal energy imbalances while enabling Iran to expand its influence in the South Caucasus region. Iran faces challenges
Armenia Reaches ‘Point of No Return’ in Withdrawal From CSTO
Executive Summary: On July 12, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that Armenia plans to withdraw from the Russian-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organization. This confirmation follows agreements for Russian border
Iran’s Paradoxical Expectations for Political Developments in Armenia
Executive Summary: Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is moving Armenian foreign policy away from traditional alliances with Russia and Iran, favoring closer ties with the West which could be an
Challenges in Azerbaijani-Israeli Strategic Relationship After October 7
Executive Summary: Azerbaijan has taken a more conservative stance on the war in Gaza, maintaining relations with Israel, on the one hand, and avoiding declaring Hamas a terrorist organization, on
Western Sanctions Challenge and Restrict Ruble-Rial Trade Between Iran and Russia
On December 25, 2023, during the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council summit in St. Petersburg, the Russian-dominated Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Iran inked an extensive free-trade agreement (FTA). Representatives from
Expiration of UN Missile Sanctions Has Limited Effect on Iran’s Arms Trade
While much of the world’s attention was focused on the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, the UN Security Council’s sanctions on the development and export of Iranian missiles quietly expired
What Will Iran’s SCO Membership Mean for Security Arrangements in Central Asia?
On July 4, Iran officially became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) during a virtual summit hosted by India for the SCO Heads of State Council (Shargh
New Trilateral Cooperation for Iran, Armenia and India in the South Caucasus: From ‘Soft Balancing’ to Regional Transit Balance
In April 2023, the first trilateral political consultation between the deputy foreign ministers of Iran, India and Armenia was held in Yerevan (Shargh Daily, April 21). The three countries focused
The Israel Factor as a ‘Third Party’ in Growing Tensions Between Iran and Azerbaijan
Israel is usually mentioned as a “third party” in the political literature of Iranian leaders and officials, especially when talking about Tel Aviv’s influence on relations between Tehran and Baku.
Iran Not Opposed to Deployment of EU Monitoring Mission Along Armenian-Azerbaijani Border
The Iranian ambassador to Armenia, Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri, announced on the sidelines of the “Armenia-Iran Relations in Context of Common Interests” forum, which was held on February 10, that “Iran
Iran’s Purchase of Russian Fighter Jets Underlines Shifting Regional Geopolitics
The news of Iran’s planned purchase of Russian Sukhoi Su-35 advanced fighter jets is the latest sign of deepening relations between Tehran and Moscow. This development is significant, as in
Capacities and Dimensions of Russian Investment in Iranian Oil and Gas Fields
On July 19, 2022, the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Russian gas company Gazprom worth close to $40 billion. The deal was signed
Banking Cooperation Between Iran and Russia Increases as De-Dollarization Campaign Intensifies
In January 2022, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in Moscow to discuss monetary and banking issues between Russia and Iran, and the two sides agreed to the removal of trade
Russia Ready to Allow Iranian Ships Access to the Volga River and Volga-Don Canal
By strengthening alternative transit corridors, Moscow hopes to counter tightening Western economic sanctions and transit restrictions adopted in response to Russia’s all-out assault on Ukraine. One of the most important
Iran Increasingly Uneasy About Threats to Common Border With Armenia
In the southernmost part of the Caucasus, Iran shares a 750-kilometer (km) border with Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan region, of which about 138 km (Zangilan, Jabrayil and Fuzuli) had been
7th Summit of the Astana Peace Process in Tehran: Implications for the Syrian Crisis
Three days after US President Joe Biden's trip to the Middle East, Tehran hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on July 19. This tripartite meeting
Putin’s Fifth Visit to Tehran: Renewing and Bolstering Russian-Iranian Relations
Russian President Vladimir Putin participated in the seventh summit of the heads of states in the Astana Peace Process for Syria in Tehran, Iran, on July 19, 2022. This marked
The Rise of Multimodal Transportation Among Russia, Iran and India
As the Ukraine war has entered its fifth month, and two decades after Iran, Russia and India signed the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) in 2002, Dariush Jamali, head of
Iran Opens Ababil-2 Drone Factory in Tajikistan: Reasons and Implications
On May 16–17, with much of the attention in Eurasia still fixated on the Russian-Ukrainian war, the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, paid
Will Russia Complete Iran’s Rasht–Astara Railway?
The Russo-Ukrainian war has had a direct impact on the status of the various China–Central Asia–Russia–Europe transit corridors that traverse Eurasia. The Northern Corridor branch of China’s Belt and Road
Construction of Highway and Railway Links Between Zangilan and Nakhchivan: The Views From Baku and Tehran
The Russo-Ukrainian war, the extensive sanctions against Russia that the West adopted in response, and the growing possibility that European border states will block east-west transit routes traversing Russian territory
With Russian Route Blocked, Uzbekistan Looks to Indian-Iranian-Afghan Chabahar Port Project
The Russo-Ukraine war, the extensive Western sanctions against Russia, and the growing possibility that European border states will block east-west transit corridors traversing Russian territory into Europe are having far-reaching
Tensions Deescalate Between Iran and Republic of Azerbaijan
Relations between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan underwent acute conflict and tension in September–October 2021. However, since mid-October, the two countries have endeavored to manage the frictions and reduce
New Gas Cooperation Between Iran and Turkmenistan: Prospects and Limitations
In a remarkable sign of tightening relations, Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan signed a trilateral natural gas swap deal on the sidelines of the 15th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization
Four Obstacles to Iranian Oil and Gas Production in the Caspian Sea
In recent months, a series of analytical publications sparked fresh debate in Iran about the status of Iran’s oil and natural gas reserves in the Caspian Sea as well as
Tensions in Tehran-Baku Relations: Iran’s New Transit Routes in Armenia and the Caspian Sea
Although many observers assumed that the recent uptick in tensions between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan (see EDM, October 6) would die down following the telephone calls between Iranian
The Taliban Takeover of Kabul and Implications for the India-Iran-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Transit Corridor
The port of Chabahar—located on the Makran coast of Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan Province, near to the Gulf of Oman and at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz—is the
Iran Drives Development of Persian Gulf–Black Sea International Transport and Transit Corridor
Back in 2016, Iran put forward a regional initiative to expand the Persian Gulf–Black Sea International Transport and Transit Corridor, which, in addition to the Islamic Republic itself, involves Armenia,
Iran and the 3+3 Regional Cooperation Format in the South Caucasus: Strengths and Weaknesses
Over the past three decades, various initiatives for regional cooperation in the South Caucasus have been proposed, including the “Peaceful Caucasus Initiative” (Eduard Shevardnadze), “Stability Pact for the Caucasus” (Suleyman
Iran Balks at Definition of Offshore Territorial Baselines in Caspian Sea
Following decades of wrangling and negotiations, Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkmenistan signed the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, in Aktau, on August 12, 2018. According
The 2020 Karabakh War’s Impact on the Northwestern Border of Iran
The drastically upended situation along the southern edge of the South Caucasus has affected Iran in several complex ways. Among the three large powers surrounding the region—Iran, Russia and Turkey—only
Iran and the SCO: Continued Obstacles to Full Membership
The 20th summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was held virtually, on November 10, under the rotating chairmanship of the Russian Federation.