The Formation of the Iran-Russia Boundaries in the Caucasus

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of Russian Studies, Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jices.2025.387637.1079

Abstract

This article discusses the formation of the Iran-Russia border. Historically, Iran and Russia, despite a long shared history, maintained an often-unfriendly relationship. The border between them was defined by the Greater Caucasus mountain range, specifically near the Terek River, before the treaties of Gulistan (1813) and Turkmenchay (1828). Before the 16th century, the two nations were separated by a flexible and undefined frontier region, rather than a fixed boundary. The modern Iran-Russia border was established following two wars initiated by Russia, which ended in Iran’s defeat and led to the formalization of territorial divisions. Today, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Iran and Russia no longer share a land border; they are now separated by the Caspian Sea, the legal status of which remains under discussion.

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