AZE.US
Prominent Azerbaijani lawyer Akram Hasanov has weighed in on the debate over how Azerbaijan should view Iran as war and instability continue to shake the Islamic Republic.
In a lengthy public commentary, Hasanov argued that describing Iran as either a clear friend or an outright enemy of Azerbaijan oversimplifies a far more complicated reality. According to him, ties between the two countries are shaped by a long shared history, cultural overlap and political contradictions that cannot be reduced to slogans.
Hasanov said many key figures in Azerbaijani intellectual and political history were deeply connected to the broader Iranian cultural space. He pointed to names such as Mirza Fatali Akhundov, Mahammad Amin Rasulzade and Nizami Ganjavi as examples of how closely Azerbaijani and Iranian historical trajectories have intersected over the centuries.
At the same time, he stressed that modern Iran, in its current political form, cannot be considered a naturally close model for Azerbaijan. In his reading, the Azerbaijani Republic developed along a very different political and social path, while Iran’s present-day system remains fundamentally distant from Azerbaijan’s state identity and public structure.
Hasanov also addressed the arguments of those in Azerbaijan who view Iran as hostile. Among the main concerns, he cited the position of Azerbaijanis in Iran, limits on language development, Tehran’s approach toward Armenia and tensions over regional transport and geopolitical projects after the Second Karabakh War.
Still, he argued that these concerns do not automatically justify treating Iran as a direct enemy. States act based on interests, not emotions, and Iran is no exception, he said. That is why Azerbaijan’s policy should be based on strategic calculation rather than ideological extremes or emotional reactions.
His core conclusion was that Iran is not Azerbaijan’s friend today, but it is not accurate to define it as an outright enemy either. The more realistic approach, he argued, is to treat Iran as a difficult, sensitive and important neighbor with whom Baku must maintain a careful and pragmatic balance.
Hasanov added that this approach matters even more during a period when Iran itself is under extreme pressure from war. In his view, Azerbaijan should behave in a way that ensures Iranian society does not remember Baku’s position during this crisis in a sharply negative light.