DefinePK

Abstract

Iran and Tajikistan lack a direct geographical link. However, Iranian foreign policy towards the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Tajikistan has not only complicated Iran-Tajikistan relations, but it has also fostered a strong sense of protection against Iran's Persian-hegemonic or revolution-exporting tendencies in Central Asia, particularly in Tajikistan. This policy appears to have no impact on ethnic communities within Iran, but it has actually fueled significant ethno-national separatisms, mainly among Azerbaijanis and Kurds. Ethno-nationalists argue that if Iran can support independence movements in Gorno-Badakhshan based on shared language, religion, culture, and history, then they too should have the right to receive foreign support based on similar linguistic, religious, and cultural elements. This study aims to analyze Iranian interests in Central Asia, specifically in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Tajikistan, and examine how the sense of separatism in Gorno-Badakhshan could potentially trigger an ethnic dilemma within Iran. Additionally, the investigation will explore Iranian strategies to indirectly control one of the historical Silk Road branches that traverses the Gorno-Badakhshan region, connecting China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Russia. The study will also scrutinize the political economy underlying such orientations and their counter-effects.