Is Iran Losing Its Clout in the Caucasus?

An emboldened Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, has changed the balance of power in the South Caucasus in recent years. Baku reclaimed full control over Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region that for three decades had been under ethnic-Armenian control, last year. A weakened Armenia, meanwhile, has distanced itself from its traditional ally, Russia, and looked to move closer to the West. The geopolitical changes in the region have raised concerns in Iran, which neighbors Armenia and Azerbaijan. Tehran fears it could lose its clout in a region that has…