Speaking to the Tehran-based Arabic-language TV Al Alam recently, Seyyed Abbas Mousavi, the former ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Republic of Azerbaijan said that "In order to protect its interests in the Caucasus, Iran must continue to expel and cut off the hands of powers from beyond the region from this critically-important region."
"Azerbaijan is arranging its relations with the main global and regional players smartly," the the ex-ambassador to Baku added.
According to Mousavi, "Russia considers the Caucasus as its backyard and an extension of its strategic depth, and despite the conflict in Ukraine, it is the main player in the developments in the South Caucasus."
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on a visit to Baku earlier this week that Moscow was still committed to its historical role of mediating peace negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia despite its war in Ukraine.
MNA