TheAzerbaijan–Iran border (Azerbaijani:Azərbaycan–İran sərhədi,Persian:مرز آذربایجان و ایران) is 689 km (428 mi) in length and consists of two non-contiguous sections separated by the 44-km longArmenia–Iran border.[1]
The border starts in the north-west at the tripoint with Turkey on theAras river, continuing along this river south-eastwards, through the Aras reservoir (created by theAras Dam) and down to the western Armenian tripoint.
The border starts in the west at the eastern Armenian tripoint on the Aras river, and then follows this river as it flows north-eastwards. The border leaves the river at a point south ofBəhramtəpə, turning sharply south-eastwards and proceeding across theMugan plain to theBolgarchay river. The border then follows this river south forming a broad S-shape. The river ends nearYardımlı, with the border then curving south-eastwards, proceeding overland in that direction through theTalysh Mountains, then turning east along theAstarachay river, following its course all the way to theCaspian Sea.
During the 19th century the Caucasus region was contested between the decliningOttoman Empire,Persia andRussia, which was expanding southwards.[2] By theRusso-Persian War (1804–1813) and the subsequentTreaty of Gulistan, Russia acquired the bulk of what is now Azerbaijan and parts of Armenia; a border was drawn which is the modern border between Iran and Azerbaijan (excluding the Nakhichevan section) and Iran and Armenia.[2][3][4] Following theRusso-Persian War (1826–1828) and theTreaty of Turkmenchay Persia was forced to cede Nakhchivan and the rest of Armenia to Russia; the Aras was extended as the border up to the Ottoman tripoint, thus finalising what would become the Azerbaijan–Iran border.[2][5][4]
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During theFirst World War Russian Communists staged a successfulrevolution in 1917, whilst the peoples of the southern Caucasus had declared theTranscaucasian Democratic Federative Republic in 1918. Internal disagreements led toGeorgia leaving the federation in May 1918, followed shortly thereafter byArmenia andAzerbaijan. By its very name the newly independent Azerbaijan caused tensions with Persia, as it seemed to imply a claim to Iran'sAzerbaijan region.[6][7][8][9] In 1920 Russia'sRed Army invaded Azerbaijan and Armenia, ending the independence of both, followed shortly thereafter by Georgia. All three states were incorporated into theTranscaucasian SFSR within theUSSR, before being separated in 1936. A Soviet-backedseparatist state in Iranian Azerbaijan was established 1945 but was soon quashed by Iranian forces.[10]
An Iran–USSR border convention in 1954 made some minor adjustments along the frontier in the Mugan plain and nearDeman andNamin, to Iran's benefit.[2] On-the-ground demarcation then followed, with a final agreement being agreed upon in 1957.[2] In 1970 some further adjustments were made to the Nakhchivan section of the border following the creation of the Aras dam.[2]
Following the collapse of the USSR in 1991 Azerbaijan gained independence and inherited its section of the Iran–USSR border. Iran quickly recognised the new state, though relations cooled over Iranian fears of Azerbaijan's potential claims to its territory as part of a 'Greater Azerbaijan', with Iran championing Armenia in theFirst Nagorno-Karabakh War.[11][12] Following the war Armenia was left in control of the westernmost section of the 'mainland' Azerbaijan–Iran border. Relations between Iran and Azerbaijan have improved somewhat since the accession ofHassan Rouhani in Iran.
During the2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, Azerbaijan gained complete control of the western section of the border with Iran within one month from the self-proclaimedRepublic of Artsakh, ultimately restoring Azerbaijani control over the border.[13]
There are crossings between 'mainland' Azerbaijan and Iran at Bilasuvar and Astara.[14] Crossings between Iran and Nakchivan are at Jolfa/Julfa andPoldasht–Shahtakhti.[14]
Until 1918, when the Musavat regime decided to name the newly independent state Azerbaijan, this designation had been used exclusively to identify theIranian province of Azerbaijan.
The region to the north of the river Araxes was not called Azerbaijan prior to 1918, unlike the region in northwestern Iran that has been called since so long ago.
As a result, the People's Republic of Azerbaijan and the Kurdish People's Republic (the Republic of Mahabad), two short-lived Soviet puppet states, were set up late in 1945...