Ilham Aliyev
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.
Groong episodes that include this tag
Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Ilham Aliyev.
Pashinyan Live | From Sochi to Brussels | Normalization | Co-opetition | Ep #104 - Nov 28, 2021 [EP104]
Posted on Monday, Nov 29, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, Syria, Economy, Georgia, China, India, Lebanon, Artsakh, Ukraine, Genocide, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, NATO
ANN/Groong Week in Review - November 28, 2021
Topics:
- Pashinyan Live on Facebook
- Trilateral in Sochi, Bilateral in Brussels
- Turkish-Armenian “Normalization”
- Russian-Turkish “Co-opetition” in Eurasia
Guests:
- Hrant Mikaelian TW/@hrant_m
- Yeghia Tashjian TW/@yeghig
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 104 | Recorded: Sunday, November 28, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211128.html
Russia-NATO | Border | Goodbye Moscow, Hello Brussels! | Protests in EVN | Ep #103 - Nov 21, 2021 [EP103]
Posted on Monday, Nov 22, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Turkey, Iran, Georgia, USA, Economy, NATO, European Union | Series: wir
ANN/Groong Week in Review - November 21, 2021
Topics:
- Russia-NATO escalation
- Border escalation
- Goodbye Moscow, Hello Brussels!
- Protests in Yerevan
Guest: Pietro Shakarian
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 103 | Recorded: Monday, November 22, 2021 Show notes: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211121.html
Russia-NATO | Border | Goodbye Moscow, Hello Brussels! | Protests in EVN | Ep #103 - Nov 21, 2021 [EP103]
Posted on Monday, Nov 22, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Turkey, Iran, Georgia, USA, Economy, NATO, European UnionANN/Groong Week in Review - November 21, 2021
Topics:
- Russia-NATO escalation
- Border escalation
- Goodbye Moscow, Hello Brussels!
- Protests in Yerevan
Guest: Pietro Shakarian
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 103 | Recorded: Monday, November 22, 2021 Show notes: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211121.html
Armenia Attacked | Border Politics | Back to OSCE MG | Municipal Results | Ep #101 - Nov 14, 2021 [EP101]
Posted on Wednesday, Nov 17, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Russia, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Turkey, Israel, China, Ukraine, Georgia, Iran, Economy, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, Syria | Series: wir
ANN/Groong Week in Review - November 7, 2021
Topics:
- Armenia under wide scale attacks by Azerbaijan @0:55
- Border Politics @7:20
- Azerbaijan Returns to the OSCE MG @29:49
- Municipal elections Over the Past Weekend @44:38
Guests:
- Arthur Martirosyan TW/@ArtMart96
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 101 | Recorded: Monday, November 16, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211114.html
Armenia Attacked | Border Politics | Back to OSCE MG | Municipal Results | Ep #101 - Nov 14, 2021 [EP101]
Posted on Wednesday, Nov 17, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Russia, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Turkey, Israel, China, Ukraine, Georgia, Iran, Economy, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, SyriaANN/Groong Week in Review - November 7, 2021
Topics:
- Armenia under wide scale attacks by Azerbaijan @0:55
- Border Politics @7:20
- Azerbaijan Returns to the OSCE MG @29:49
- Municipal elections Over the Past Weekend @44:38
Guests:
- Arthur Martirosyan TW/@ArtMart96
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 101 | Recorded: Monday, November 16, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211114.html
War in Artsakh, 1 Year On | Erika Olson visits Region | Internal developments | Ep #99 - Nov 7, 2021 [EP99]
Posted on Tuesday, Nov 9, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, China, Artsakh, India, Georgia, Turkey, Israel, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union | Series: wir
ANN/Groong Week in Review - November 7, 2021
Topics:
- The War in Artsakh, One Year Later
- Erika Olson visits the South Caucasus
- Internal political developments
Guests:
- Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 99 | Recorded: Monday, November 8, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211107.html
War in Artsakh, 1 Year On | Erika Olson visits Region | Internal developments | Ep #99 - Nov 7, 2021 [EP99]
Posted on Tuesday, Nov 9, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, China, Artsakh, India, Georgia, Turkey, Israel, Nagorno Karabakh, European UnionANN/Groong Week in Review - November 7, 2021
Topics:
- The War in Artsakh, One Year Later
- Erika Olson visits the South Caucasus
- Internal political developments
Guests:
- Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 99 | Recorded: Monday, November 8, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211107.html
Armenia’s Borders in Maps - A Conversation with Rouben Galichian | Ep 95 - Oct 29, 2021
Guest:
Topics:
- Following the 44-day War in Artsakh, Azerbaijan’s president demands Armenia sign a “Peace Treaty” involving full border recognition.
- Historical and contemporary mapping of Armenian borders
- Early cartography and 20th-century developments
- Enclaves, the Goris-Kapan Highway, and Sev Lake
- Armenia-Iran border considerations
Episode 95 | Recorded: October 29, 2021
Armenia's Borders in Maps - A Conversation with Rouben Galichian | Ep 95 - Oct 29, 2021 [EP95]
Posted on Friday, Oct 29, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, History, Maps, Nagorno Karabakh, Iran, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Genocide, NATO, SyriaArmenia’s Borders in Maps - A Conversation with Rouben Galichian | Ep 95 - Oct 29, 2021
Guest:
Topics:
- Following the 44-day War in Artsakh, Azerbaijan’s president demands Armenia sign a “Peace Treaty” involving full border recognition.
- Historical and contemporary mapping of Armenian borders
- Early cartography and 20th-century developments
- Enclaves, the Goris-Kapan Highway, and Sev Lake
- Armenia-Iran border considerations
Episode 95 | Recorded: October 29, 2021