Konstantin Simonov: Iran will strengthen its armed forces in the Caspian to exercise pressure on Azerbaijan

“Iran has been one of the factors which allowed prolonging the signing of the agreement on the division of Caspian (after which Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan on legal basis could have built Trans-Caspian gas pipeline disadvantageous for Russia). It’s one thing to use Iranian factor to disturb the construction of Trans-Caspian pipeline and another thing to face the growing power of Iran in the Caspian,” he said.

Simonov said that neither Turkmenistan nor Kazakhstan and nor Azerbaijan don’t have a real navy and the Russian military superiority is apparent there.

“However when Iran will acquire money the first thing it will do is spending that money on new level of militarization. It is clear that the main threat to Iran comes from the other side of the Strait of Hormuz, from Saudi Arabia, but I’m sure that Iran will strengthen its armed forces in the Caspian as well. As a result there will be new competent military power which will be able to spend on arming far more money than Azerbaijan. Iran will become a major regional power while militarization will be one of the arguments of that process as well as a factor of pressure on neighboring countries, primarily on Azerbaijan,” Simonov stated.

Relief!