Last updated: May 29, 2026
Ilham Aliyev has led Azerbaijan since succeeding his father Heydar Aliyev in 2003, consolidating an authoritarian system built on hydrocarbon wealth and a foreign policy defined by strategic patience and the eventual use of force in the Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict. Aliyev is one of the most frequently discussed figures in Groong’s coverage, appearing across more than 200 episodes.
The two defining events of Aliyev’s tenure in Groong’s coverage are the 44-Day War of 2020 and Azerbaijan’s military offensive of September 2023. The 2020 war — launched with Turkish military support — ended with Armenia’s defeat and the Russian-brokered ceasefire of November 9. Aliyev then used the three-year interregnum to progressively squeeze the remaining Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh through the Lachin Corridor blockade before the September 2023 offensive that expelled the entire Armenian population of Artsakh — what international human rights organizations have characterized as ethnic cleansing.
In Groong’s analysis, Aliyev’s post-2023 posture has continued to pressure Armenia on multiple fronts: demanding constitutional changes, pursuing the Zangezur Corridor through Syunik , and keeping Armenian prisoners of war — including former Artsakh leaders — in Azerbaijani detention. Episodes also examine Aliyev’s foreign policy relationships: his alliance with Turkey, Azerbaijan’s growing ties with Israel and other arms suppliers, his use of energy leverage over Europe, Azerbaijan’s hosting of COP29 in Baku in 2024, and Baku’s uneasy balance between Russia and the West.
Groong episodes covering Aliyev address the state of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process , the human rights situation inside Azerbaijan, and the broader implications of Azerbaijani regional ambitions for Armenian security.
Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Ilham Aliyev.
Episode 493 | Recorded: December 2, 2025
Episode 492 | Recorded: November 29, 2025
#IranCrisis #AzerbaijanPolitics #EuropeanGeopolitics #ArmeniaSecurity #SouthCaucasus #GlobalPowerPolitics
Episode 492 | Recorded: November 29, 2025
#IranCrisis #AzerbaijanPolitics #EuropeanGeopolitics #ArmeniaSecurity #SouthCaucasus #GlobalPowerPolitics
Episode 491 | Recorded: November 29, 2025
#Venezuela #AmericaFirst #USForeignPolicy #TRIPP #UkraineWar
Episode 491 | Recorded: November 29, 2025
#Venezuela #AmericaFirst #USForeignPolicy #TRIPP #UkraineWar
Episode 490 | Recorded: November 25, 2025
#ArmenianChurch #ReligiousFreedom #ClergyArrests #ChristianSolidarityInternational #HumanRightsInArmenia
Episode 490 | Recorded: November 25, 2025
#ArmenianChurch #ReligiousFreedom #ClergyArrests #ChristianSolidarityInternational #HumanRightsInArmenia
Episode 489 | Recorded: November 23, 2025
Episode 489 | Recorded: November 23, 2025
Episode 488 | Recorded: November 24, 2025
Episode 488 | Recorded: November 24, 2025
Episode 486 | Recorded: November 17, 2025
Episode 486 | Recorded: November 17, 2025
Episode 484 | Recorded: November 10, 2025
Episode 484 | Recorded: November 10, 2025
Episode 483 | Recorded: November 3, 2025
Episode 483 | Recorded: November 3, 2025
Episode 478 | Recorded: October 14, 2025
Episode 478 | Recorded: October 14, 2025
Episode 476 | Recorded: September 28, 2025
Episode 476 | Recorded: September 28, 2025
Episode 474 | Recorded: September 22, 2025
Episode 474 | Recorded: September 22, 2025
Episode 473 | Recorded on September 17, 2025
Episode 473 | Recorded on September 17, 2025
Episode 472 | Recorded: September 15, 2025
Episode 472 | Recorded: September 15, 2025
Episode 471 | Recorded: September 8, 2025
Episode 471 | Recorded: September 8, 2025
Episode 470 | Recorded: September 5, 2025
Episode 470 | Recorded: September 5, 2025
Episode 467 | Recorded: September 1, 2025
Episode 467 | Recorded: September 1, 2025
Episode 466 | Recorded: August 28, 2025
Episode 466 | Recorded: August 28, 2025
In this episode of Conversations on Groong, renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs joins to discuss the U.S.-brokered “TRIPP” (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity), also known as the Zangezur Corridor. The discussion covers the risks of foreign powers imposing corridors through Armenia, the muted response from Moscow, Tehran’s strong opposition, and what this means for regional security. Sachs stresses that Armenia should not look to distant powers like the United States for security or stability, but instead pursue prudent arrangements and economic cooperation with its immediate Read More
Episode 464 | Recorded: August 25, 2025
Episode 464 | Recorded: August 25, 2025
Episode 463 | Recorded: August 18, 2025
Episode 463 | Recorded: August 18, 2025
Episode 461 | Recorded: August 13, 2025
Episode 461 | Recorded: August 13, 2025
Episode 460 | Recorded: August 11, 2025
Episode 460 | Recorded: August 11, 2025
Episode 459 | Recorded: August 11, 2025
Episode 459 | Recorded: August 11, 2025
Summary In this episode, Christine Arakelian and Col. Douglas MacGregor join the hosts to analyze U.S. foreign policy moves from Gaza to the South Caucasus. They discuss Israel’s ongoing campaign in Gaza, the recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, and the likely resumption of hostilities. The conversation examines the Trump–Pashinyan–Aliyev White House summit, the strategic “Trump Corridor” across Armenia, and its impact on Russia, Iran, and India. The guests explore India–Armenia relations, U.S. economic vulnerabilities, and the challenges of sustaining a long-term American role in the Read More
Episode 458 | Recorded: August 9, 2025
Episode 458 | Recorded: August 9, 2025
In this episode, former U.S. Army officer and military-political analyst Stanislav Krapivnik discusses the geopolitical fallout from the Trump-Pashinyan-Aliyev summit in Washington, which saw the announcement of a “peace” framework, the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, U.S. plans for a 99-year “Trump Corridor” across Armenia, and the dropping of Section 907 to allow arms sales to Azerbaijan. He examines Russia’s heavy focus on the Ukraine war at the expense of the South Caucasus, the loss of Russian leverage over Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the growing role of Turkey. Krapivnik warns of Read More
Episode 456 | Recorded: July 28, 2025
Episode 456 | Recorded: July 28, 2025
Episode 455 | Recorded: July 25, 2025
Episode 455 | Recorded: July 25, 2025
Episode 453 | Recorded: July 13, 2025
Episode 453 | Recorded: July 13, 2025
Episode 452 | Recorded: July 7, 2025
Episode 452 | Recorded: July 7, 2025
Episode 451 | Recorded: June 30, 2025
Episode 451 | Recorded: June 30, 2025