The South Caucasus must be ready to take potential business opportunities presented by the conflict in Iran. That’s the opinion of Rusif Huseynov, from the Topchubashov Center think tank, who suggested that investors spooked by instability in the Middle East may shift their focus to the region.
Speaking on AnewZ TV on Tuesday (3rd March), Huseynov, Director of the Baku-based thinktank, said, “Our geopolitical significance has been elevated, especially in terms of connectivity, but for other reasons as well. Even if the conflict around Iran is coming to an end tomorrow, the instability in the Middle East will definitely last for some time.
“It will scare away investors, businesspeople, [and] other companies who want to deal with the region. And in this case, the South Caucasus may receive huge business opportunities… We must be prepared [to be] able to digest these opportunities.”
Since conflict broke out in Iran and the wider Middle East region at the weekend, flights have been rerouted above Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Flight trackers show a bottleneck of planes above the South Caucasus, while Iranian airspace remains closed.
Meanwhile the tourism and business hubs of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Doha in Qatar have been rocked by Iranian missile strikes that have caused airports to suspend flights or close entirely.
Huseynov warned, however, of the risk of the conflict spilling over to Armenia and Azerbaijan and the refugee crisis this could spark.
“The spillover effect of the conflict in and around Iran… would be the worst nightmare for all three South Caucasus countries. [...] It's about the possible exodus of Iranian refugees northward. It can be a humanitarian catastrophe.”
Huseynov added that leaders in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia should make efforts to achieve de-esculation between Iran and the USA. But he admitted that such an outcome was “complicated” to bring about at present.
The widening war between Iran, U.S. and Israel is leaving civilians and soldiers caught in its wake. Thousands are stranded across the Gulf, flight...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stori...
Türkiye has suspended day-trip crossings at its Kapıköy border and two...
The U.S. military's Central Command said on Tuesday that Iran has launched over 500 ballistic missiles and ...
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the country's gas exports to Europe and rene...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 4th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Türkiye has suspended day-trip crossings at its Kapıköy border and two others with Iran as regional tensions escalate following strikes involving the United States and Israel on Tehran. AnewZ's Alisultan Sultanzade was on the ground at the crossing before the restrictions came into force.
The U.S. military's Central Command said on Tuesday that Iran has launched over 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones in its retaliatory attacks throughout the Middle East so far.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a full U.S. trade embargo on Spain on Tuesday after the European and NATO ally refused to let the U.S. military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars "forever"; in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov following recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on targets in Iran, as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
China expressed serious concern over the escalating conflict in Iran, confirming that one Chinese national was killed in Tehran. Beijing called for an immediate halt to military operations and a return to diplomatic talks, while other Asian countries have also voiced their positions on the crisis.
The widening war between Iran, U.S. and Israel is leaving civilians and soldiers caught in its wake. Thousands are stranded across the Gulf, flights are grounded, and Washington has confirmed the first American troops killed as fears grow of further casualties.
Türkiye has suspended day-trip crossings at its Kapıköy border and two others with Iran as regional tensions escalate following strikes involving the United States and Israel on Tehran. AnewZ's Alisultan Sultanzade was on the ground at the crossing before the restrictions came into force.
The U.S. military's Central Command said on Tuesday that Iran has launched over 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones in its retaliatory attacks throughout the Middle East so far.
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the country's gas exports to Europe and renewable energy development at the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council 12th Ministerial Meeting and Green Energy Advisory Council 4th Ministerial Meeting on Tuesday (3 March) in Baku.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a full U.S. trade embargo on Spain on Tuesday after the European and NATO ally refused to let the U.S. military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.
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