Iran’s soft power in Azerbaijan: shifting cultural dynamics in the post-Soviet era

Abstract

This article explores Iran's soft power appeal in Azerbaijan following Azerbaijan's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. It first reviews the state of the field and situates Iran's overall soft power strategies in relation to that context and then focuses on the relationship between Iran and post-independence Azerbaijan. Drawing on a rich array of material, including the latest publications in Persian, the article explores Tehran's exercise of soft power in Azerbaijan in three key spheres: education, culture, and religion. The article argues that although Iran has invested significant resources in the promotion of its soft power in Azerbaijan, it has encountered significant hurdles in exercising that influence. Azerbaijan resists such influence and, at times, pursues certain anti-Iranian policies. Thus, the divide between the two countries, despite all historical and cultural commonalities remains firmly in place. Q4