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.
Arthur Khachatryan - Army Day, JD Vance to Armenia, TRIPP, Church, Strong Armenia Political Party | Ep 510, Jan 27, 2026 [EP510]
Posted on Wednesday, Jan 28, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Armenian Church, Artsakh Blockade, Iran, Economy, Georgia, Human Rights, Syria | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Memorial Day vs. Army Day
- JD Vance to Armenia and Azerbaijan
- Armenian Church Developments
- Strong Armenia - New Political Party
Episode 510 | Recorded: Jnauary 27, 2026
Arthur Khachatryan - Army Day, JD Vance to Armenia, TRIPP, Church, Strong Armenia Political Party | Ep 510, Jan 27, 2026 [EP510]
Posted on Wednesday, Jan 28, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Armenian Church, Artsakh Blockade, Iran, Economy, Georgia, Human Rights, SyriaGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Memorial Day vs. Army Day
- JD Vance to Armenia and Azerbaijan
- Armenian Church Developments
- Strong Armenia - New Political Party
Episode 510 | Recorded: Jnauary 27, 2026
Erhan Arik - Horovel and The Armenian Genocide | Ep 509, Jan 22, 2026 [EP509]
Posted on Thursday, Jan 22, 2026 | Category: Arts, Armenia, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Turkey, Genocide, Iran, Russia, Middle East, Lebanon, Georgia, India, NATO, Azerbaijan | Series: tcc
Groong Links:
Guest Host:
Guest:
- Erhan Arik ,Photojournalist
Topics:
- Horovel, a cross-border memory project
- Ojakh, a second trip down memory lane
- Gayan, a wider regional lens
- Our Seeds, continuity across generations
Episode 509 | Recorded: January 18, 2026
Erhan Arik - Horovel and The Armenian Genocide | Ep 509, Jan 22, 2026 [EP509]
Posted on Thursday, Jan 22, 2026 | Category: Arts, Armenia, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Turkey, Genocide, Iran, Russia, Middle East, Lebanon, Georgia, India, NATO, AzerbaijanGroong Links:
Guest Host:
Guest:
- Erhan Arik ,Photojournalist
Topics:
- Horovel, a cross-border memory project
- Ojakh, a second trip down memory lane
- Gayan, a wider regional lens
- Our Seeds, continuity across generations
Episode 509 | Recorded: January 18, 2026
Sergei Melkonian - Syria, Iran Unrest, TRIPP, Armenian Parliamentary Elections | Ep 508, Jan 18, 2026 [EP508]
Posted on Tuesday, Jan 20, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Syria, Iran, Israel, China, Geopolitics, Middle East, Georgia, Ukraine, Economy, India, European Union | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Syria, Kurds, Turkish advance
- Iran Unrest, War Postponed
- TRIPP and sovereignty dispute
- 2026 Elections and Foreign Influence
Episode 508 | Recorded: January 19, 2026
#ArmenianNews #Syria #Iran #ZangezurCorridor #TRIPP #Geopolitics
Sergei Melkonian - Syria, Iran Unrest, TRIPP, Armenian Parliamentary Elections | Ep 508, Jan 18, 2026 [EP508]
Posted on Tuesday, Jan 20, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Syria, Iran, Israel, China, Geopolitics, Middle East, Georgia, Ukraine, Economy, India, European UnionGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Syria, Kurds, Turkish advance
- Iran Unrest, War Postponed
- TRIPP and sovereignty dispute
- 2026 Elections and Foreign Influence
Episode 508 | Recorded: January 19, 2026
#ArmenianNews #Syria #Iran #ZangezurCorridor #TRIPP #Geopolitics
Pietro Shakarian - Iran, Russia, and the Geopolitics of Post-Soviet Eurasia | Ep 506, Jan 16, 2026 [EP506]
Posted on Friday, Jan 16, 2026 | Category: Armenia, History, Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Israel, Nagorno Karabakh, BRICS, European Union, Syria, China, Ukraine, Genocide, India, NATO, Georgia, Middle East, Human Rights | Series: cog
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Unrest in Iran
- Russia-Iran Partnership
- Solovyovâs Statements
- Trumpâs âTRIPP Wireâ in the Caucasus
- Release of Armenian hostages
Episode 506 | Recorded on January 14, 2026
Pietro Shakarian - Iran, Russia, and the Geopolitics of Post-Soviet Eurasia | Ep 506, Jan 16, 2026 [EP506]
Posted on Friday, Jan 16, 2026 | Category: Armenia, History, Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Israel, Nagorno Karabakh, BRICS, European Union, Syria, China, Ukraine, Genocide, India, NATO, Georgia, Middle East, Human RightsGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Unrest in Iran
- Russia-Iran Partnership
- Solovyovâs Statements
- Trumpâs âTRIPP Wireâ in the Caucasus
- Release of Armenian hostages
Episode 506 | Recorded on January 14, 2026
Arthur Martirosyan - Ukraine, Iran, Baku Pogroms, Church Clash | Ep 505, Jan 11, 2026 [EP505]
Posted on Wednesday, Jan 14, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Armenian Church, Ukraine, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, USA, Armenian Genocide, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Iran, Israel, Economy, Georgia, Middle East, Syria, China, Genocide | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Ukraine warâs global cost to Russia
- Iran unrest and war risk
- Remembering the Baku pogroms
- Russia-Armenia tensions and media threats
- Pashinyanâs clash with Armenian Church
Episode 505 | Recorded: January 13, 2026