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Panorama.am held an interview with Iranian studies expert Armen Israyelyan about the dispute between Iran and Azerbaijan over the legal status of the Caspian Sea and the possibility of armed conflict between them. 

- What is the main cause of the dispute between Iran and Azerbaijan over the legal status of the Caspian Sea?

- The point is that under an agreement signed between Iran and the USSR in 1921, the Soviet government gratuitously passed Ashurade island and other islands in the Caspian Sea to Iran as well as recognized Iran’s right to have fleet in the Caspian Sea.

In recent years, there is an impression that Russia reached an agreement with Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan on the legal status, but Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan still have certain disagreements. Iran believes that the sea should be divided into five equal parts, and rules out discussion of any other option.

- So does it mean that this is purely a legal issue?

- No, besides legal issues, there are certain disagreements over environmental issues and ownership of oil fields in the Caspian Sea.

Iranian Vice President, President of the Environmental Protection Organization Mohammad-Javad Mohammadizadeh has repeatedly accused Azerbaijan of environmental violation in the Caspian Sea. Also, Iran has decided to file a complaint with international bodies against Azerbaijan.

Besides, Azerbaijan, for its part, profits from the fact that the issue of the legal status of the Caspian Sea remains unresolved, alleging that Sardar-e Jangal oil field discovered by Iran does not belong to Iran but is located in waters between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.

- Could these disputes lead to armed conflict?

- I do not rule out the possibility of armed conflict. Although the Caspian states say that they view the Caspian Sea as a field of peaceful cooperation, nevertheless, the current processes testify to the opposite.
The point is that Baku states that the military equipment purchased from Israel will be used against Armenia. But expert studies show that Azerbaijan’s anti-ship rockets will be used against Iran and Turkmenistan because Armenia has no outlet to sea.

So I think Iran recently launched Jamaran 2 destroyer in the Caspian Sea for the very purpose of protecting the borders of Iran from potential danger from Azerbaijan.