Tag: Ilham Aliyev

Last updated: May 29, 2026

Ilham Aliyev, who has led Azerbaijan since 2003, is one of the most frequently discussed figures in Groong’s coverage. His government’s decision to launch the 44-Day War in 2020 and the subsequent military operation in September 2023 that ended Armenian control of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) — and resulted in the ethnic cleansing of over 100,000 Armenians from the region — fundamentally reshaped the South Caucasus.

Groong episodes examine Aliyev’s relationship with Turkey, his use of energy leverage over Europe, Azerbaijan’s growing ties with Israel and other arms suppliers, his government’s human rights record, and Baku’s demands in ongoing negotiations with Armenia over a peace treaty. Coverage also addresses Azerbaijan’s hosting of COP29 in 2024 and what that meant for international scrutiny of the country’s domestic policies.

Benyamin Poghosyan - Public Trust in Freefall, Church on the Rise, and Corridor Pressures Mount | Ep 456, Jul 27, 2025 [EP456]

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 29, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, Russia, Iran, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Ukraine, Middle East, Israel, China, India, Geopolitics, Artsakh | Series: wir, video

Guest:

Topics:

  • Corridor Logic
  • Crackdown Logic
  • IRI Poll
  • Russian-Azerbaijani Relations

Episode 456 | Recorded: July 28, 2025

Benyamin Poghosyan - Public Trust in Freefall, Church on the Rise, and Corridor Pressures Mount | Ep 456, Jul 27, 2025 [EP456]

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 29, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, Russia, Iran, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Ukraine, Middle East, Israel, China, India, Geopolitics, Artsakh

Guest:

Topics:

  • Corridor Logic
  • Crackdown Logic
  • IRI Poll
  • Russian-Azerbaijani Relations

Episode 456 | Recorded: July 28, 2025

Arthur Khachatryan - Artsakh Negotiations, Armenian Domestic Politics | Ep 455, Jul 27, 2025 [EP455]

Posted on Sunday, Jul 27, 2025 | Category: Georgia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church | Series: cog

Guest:

Topics:

  • Artsakh Negotiations
  • Armenian Domestic Politics

Episode 455 | Recorded: July 25, 2025

Arthur Khachatryan - Artsakh Negotiations, Armenian Domestic Politics | Ep 455, Jul 27, 2025 [EP455]

Posted on Sunday, Jul 27, 2025 | Category: Georgia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church

Guest:

Topics:

  • Artsakh Negotiations
  • Armenian Domestic Politics

Episode 455 | Recorded: July 25, 2025

Pashinyan Meets Aliyev as Armenia Cracks Down on Opposition and Church | Ep 453, Jul 13, 2025 [EP453]

Posted on Sunday, Jul 13, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Armenian Church | Series: wir, video

Topics:

  • Pashinyan meets Aliyev in Abu Dhabi
  • Continued Persecution of Church and Opposition

Episode 453 | Recorded: July 13, 2025

Pashinyan Meets Aliyev as Armenia Cracks Down on Opposition and Church | Ep 453, Jul 13, 2025 [EP453]

Posted on Sunday, Jul 13, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Armenian Church

Topics:

  • Pashinyan meets Aliyev in Abu Dhabi
  • Continued Persecution of Church and Opposition

Episode 453 | Recorded: July 13, 2025

Dziunik Aghajanian – Fallout from Israel’s War on Iran, Azerbaijan’s Confrontation with Russia, Pashinyan’s Persecution of the Armenian Church, while he courts the EU | Ep 451 [EP451]

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Iran, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, USA, Israel, Armenian Church, Artsakh, Georgia | Series: wir, video

Guest:

Topics:

  • Iran War
  • Iran-Azerbaijan Relations
  • Russian-Azerbaijani Tensions
  • Russian-Armenian Relations
  • Persecution of The Church Continues
  • Kaja Kallas in Armenia
  • OIC Declaration

Episode 451 | Recorded: June 30, 2025

Dziunik Aghajanian – Fallout from Israel’s War on Iran, Azerbaijan’s Confrontation with Russia, Pashinyan’s Persecution of the Armenian Church, while he courts the EU | Ep 451 [EP451]

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Iran, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, USA, Israel, Armenian Church, Artsakh, Georgia

Guest:

Topics:

  • Iran War
  • Iran-Azerbaijan Relations
  • Russian-Azerbaijani Tensions
  • Russian-Armenian Relations
  • Persecution of The Church Continues
  • Kaja Kallas in Armenia
  • OIC Declaration

Episode 451 | Recorded: June 30, 2025

Sergei Melkonian - Israel & Iran, Opposition Crackdown, Pashinyan in Istanbul | Ep 449, Jun 22, 2025 [EP449]

Posted on Thursday, Jun 26, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Iran, Israel, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh | Series: wir, video

Guest:

Topics:

  • Israel and Iran
  • Crackdown on the Opposition
  • Pashinyan in Istanbul
  • The Kitchen Sink

Episode 449 | Recorded: June 25, 2025