South Caucasus
Last updated: May 29, 2026
The South Caucasus sits at the crossroads of Russia, Turkey, Iran, and the broader Middle East — a small region whose internal conflicts have consistently attracted the attention of great powers. The three states of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia each navigate overlapping and often contradictory security relationships with Moscow, Washington, and Brussels, while managing unresolved territorial disputes and competing integration ambitions.
The 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war and Azerbaijan’s September 2023 offensive — which resulted in the ethnic cleansing of the entire Armenian population of Artsakh from Nagorno Karabakh — reshaped the regional order, accelerating Armenia’s pivot away from Russian security structures, deepening Azerbaijan’s strategic confidence, and leaving Georgia’s own geopolitical direction in flux following disputed elections and mass protests. The region has become a live testing ground for the limits of Russian influence, the reach of Western soft power, and the emerging role of powers like Turkey, Iran, India , and China.
Groong covers the South Caucasus comprehensively — not just Armenia’s domestic politics and security situation, but the regional dynamics that define the constraints and opportunities facing every state in the area. Episodes in this category examine bilateral relationships, multilateral formats, infrastructure corridors, and the geopolitical competition that makes the South Caucasus one of the most consequential small regions in Eurasian politics.
Groong episodes that include this tag
Below are all Groong episodes tagged with South Caucasus.
Iran Talks, Election Challenges, and Political Retaliation | Ep 561, Jun 21, 2026 [EP561]
Posted on Wednesday, Jun 24, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Topics:
- US-Iran Negotiations
- Russian Embargo
- Election Aftermath
- Persecutions Continue
- Armenia-Azerbaijan Telco Agreement
Episode 561 | Recorded: June 22, 2026
#ArmenianNews #Armenia #Iran #USIranTalks #ArmenianElections #SouthCaucasus #NikolPashinyan #TRIPP
Iran Talks, Election Challenges, and Political Retaliation | Ep 561, Jun 21, 2026 [EP561]
Posted on Wednesday, Jun 24, 2026 | Category: Armenia, PoliticsGroong Links:
Topics:
- US-Iran Negotiations
- Russian Embargo
- Election Aftermath
- Persecutions Continue
- Armenia-Azerbaijan Telco Agreement
Episode 561 | Recorded: June 22, 2026
#ArmenianNews #Armenia #Iran #USIranTalks #ArmenianElections #SouthCaucasus #NikolPashinyan #TRIPP
Transcript: Iran Talks, Election Challenges, and Political Retaliation | Ep 561, Jun 21, 2026 [EP561]
Posted on Wednesday, Jun 24, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, TranscriptIn this Groong Week in Review episode, Hovik and Asbed examine the fallout from Armenia’s 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Elections, the ongoing US-Iran War ceasefire negotiations and their regional implications, and escalating political persecutions following the vote. We discuss how six opposition parties—including Strong Armenia, Armenia Alliance, Prosperous Armenia, and others—have challenged the election results at the Constitutional Court, Russia’s continued criticism of Pashinyan’s government amid an economic embargo, and Armenia-Azerbaijan telecommunications developments amid broader geopolitical uncertainty in the South Caucasus.
Groong Links:
Guest(s):
Topics:
- US-Iran negotiations and regional risks
- TRIPP and shifting regional power
- Armenia’s contested post-election landscape
- Opposition failures and future strategy
- Risks of another parliamentary election
Episode 560 | Recorded: June 22, 2026
#ArmeniaElections #USIranNegotiations #SouthCaucasus #TRIPP #Iran #ArmanGrigoryan
Arman Grigoryan - US-Iran Negotiations, Post-Election Armenian Politics | Ep 560, Jun 23, 2026 [EP560]
Posted on Tuesday, Jun 23, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, IranGroong Links:
Guest(s):
Topics:
- US-Iran negotiations and regional risks
- TRIPP and shifting regional power
- Armenia’s contested post-election landscape
- Opposition failures and future strategy
- Risks of another parliamentary election
Episode 560 | Recorded: June 22, 2026
#ArmeniaElections #USIranNegotiations #SouthCaucasus #TRIPP #Iran #ArmanGrigoryan
Transcript: Arman Grigoryan - US-Iran Negotiations, Post-Election Armenian Politics | Ep 560, Jun 23, 2026 [EP560]
Posted on Tuesday, Jun 23, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Iran, TranscriptIn this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dr. Arman Grigoryan about US-Iran negotiations and Armenia’s contested post-election landscape. We discuss the prospects for a US-Iran agreement, its implications for TRIPP and Iran-Russia relations, the aftermath of the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election, and how shifting great-power dynamics reshape the South Caucasus.
Groong Links:
Topics:
- Armenian Election Aftermath
- Armenia-Georgia Relations
- US-Iran Interim Agreement
Episode 558 | Recorded: June 15, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianNews #ArmenianElections #CivilContract #Pashinyan #ArmenianConstitution #Referendum #ProsperousArmenia #SouthCaucasus #CEC
Armenian Parliamentary Election, US-Iran Agreement | Ep 558, Jun 14, 2026 [EP558]
Posted on Tuesday, Jun 16, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, IranGroong Links:
Topics:
- Armenian Election Aftermath
- Armenia-Georgia Relations
- US-Iran Interim Agreement
Episode 558 | Recorded: June 15, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianNews #ArmenianElections #CivilContract #Pashinyan #ArmenianConstitution #Referendum #ProsperousArmenia #SouthCaucasus #CEC
Why Armenia and Georgia Must Stay United or Face Azerbaijan Hegemony [EP558]
Posted on Tuesday, Jun 16, 2026 | Category: Geopolitics, ArmeniaHovik warns that Armenia and Georgia must maintain strong partnership to resist external pressures. Without unity, Azerbaijan will emerge as the regional hegemon, benefiting from competition between its neighbors.