The Caucasus Chessboard: Will Baku Become a 'Gun for Hire'? cover art

The Caucasus Chessboard: Will Baku Become a 'Gun for Hire'?

The Caucasus Chessboard: Will Baku Become a 'Gun for Hire'?

Listen for free

View show details

About this listen

As tensions between Israel and Iran reach a boiling point, all eyes have turned to the Caucasus. Is Azerbaijan preparing to open a northern front against Tehran, or would doing so be a suicidal move for the Aliyev dynasty?


In this deep dive, we analyze the "Three Pillars" of Azerbaijani survival:


  • The Geography of Isolation: Why the Nakhchivan exclave and the "Aras Corridor" make Baku vulnerable to Iranian pressure.



  • The Energy Trap: How a single hour of Iranian strikes could evaporate 90% of Azerbaijan’s exports by targeting the BTC and SCP pipelines.



  • The Geopolitical Paradox: Why neither Russia nor Turkey may be able (or willing) to save Baku if a hot war breaks out.


Is Aliyev a strategic partner or a "gun for hire" in a much larger global game? We explore the high-stakes chessboard where one wrong move could trigger a leadership decapitation strike and plunge the region into chaos


No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.