Role of Regional Powers in Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Abstract

The mountainous region Caucasus is one of the most diverse areas in the world that can
be described as the hub of ethnic conflicts. One conflict is Nagorno-Karabakh, a
longstanding dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over a mountainous and
landlocked disputed territory. The region is predominantly ethnically Armenian,
escalating the ongoing tensions and violence between the two countries, with caustic
effects on the area. The involvement of regional stakeholders such as Türkiye, Iran and
Russia plays a significant role in either intensifying or mitigating the conflict. This
article provides an analysis of their influence, examining both constructive and
destructive impacts. This research relies on qualitative data to offer an in-depth
analysis, characterizing its nature as exploratory. The significant findings of this paper
show that the influential roles of Iran, Türkiye and Russia is contributing both
destructively and constructively to the conflict dynamics. Ultimately, the study
concludes that these regional stakeholders, driven by political, financial and national
interests, influence the conflict’s trajectory, impacting it in varying degrees of
constructive and destructive aspects ways.