Iran discussing future regional security mechanisms with neighbors, says senior researcher

The current situation is very important and pivotal for Iran in terms of initiating a process to establish new security arrangements in the region. The Iranian side is in contact with its neighbors and is discussing with them very directly the issue of future security mechanisms in the region, Alireza Khoda Gholipour, Director General of Iran’s Institute for Political and International Studies, said at the 2026 APRI Forum in Yerevan. 

“Following the illegal attack and aggression against Iran, which has been ongoing for 16 months, we have tried not only to defend ourselves but also to prevent similar acts of aggression against Iran from recurring in the future. However, overall, this aggression against Iran has had not only a destructive but also a transformative and instructive significance for Iran, the region, and the United States. Today, many perceptions and understandings regarding Iran and the region are changing. For our neighbors, this has been an instructive lesson in that it is impossible to entrust one’s own security to external powers; greater attention must be paid to regional agency and the role of regional actors,” Gholipour said.

According to him, the Iranian side is convinced that the "moment of truth" has arrived in the region, and therefore everyone must take responsibility for everything they have done in the region over the decades.

“We believe that the present moment can serve as a starting point for regional actors to assume a constructive role. Iran is very active in the South Caucasus and, thanks to its ‘red lines’ policy, managed to prevent a number of destructive projects in the region, particularly the implementation of the so-called ‘Zangezur corridor.’ In fact, we have always viewed the South Caucasus and our neighbors in the northern part of Iran as a very important direction and attached great importance to our relations,” Gholipour said.

In his view, there has been a certain misunderstanding for years that the South Caucasus is some kind of intermediate area within the region, which, he argued, is not the right approach.

“Now everyone realizes that it is very important for Iran, and the significance of bilateral relations with the South Caucasus, as well as with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, has increased for Iranian decision-makers and policymakers. This does not mean that this direction was not important for Iran before, but its importance has increased following the latest aggression against Iran. This means that Iran is now paying greater attention to Central Asia and the South Caucasus. Moreover, this is not solely due to the latest aggression against Iran: the process began several years ago, following the Second Karabakh War and its consequences. This concerns, in particular, the decline in Russia’s influence due to its involvement in Ukraine, the increase in Türkiye’s influence, as well as greater Western involvement in the region. Therefore, it is very important to understand all these regional developments in order to better understand Iran’s policy toward the South Caucasus,” Gholipour concluded.

The 2026 APRI Forum, which kicked off in Yerevan on September 23, is titled “Sketching the Architecture of Change.” The forum brings together politicians, diplomats, and representatives of the business community and civil society from Armenia and abroad.