THE STRATEGIC MISTAKE OF “LEADERSHIP MYOPIA IN TIMES OF CRISIS” IN THE JANUARY 2026 EVENTS
The outbreak of nationwide protests in Iran in January 2026, beyond being a social movement, constituted a concrete manifesto of the failure of the governance paradigm based on “strategic myopia.” In the crisis management literature, this concept refers to the cognitive gap between an organization’s established routines and the dynamic realities of its environment, which causes leaders to insist on obsolete strategies instead of adapting. In the events of January 2026, Ali Khamenei, with an excessive focus on short-term survival, proved incapable of understanding the structural collapse of the system and, by insisting on the model of naked repression and “leadership myopia,” destroyed the remaining legitimacy. This analysis examines this strategic error and its consequences.
“QIZIL SƏHİFƏLƏR”: THE FOUNDATIONAL MANIFESTO OF THE SOUTH AZERBAIJAN NATIONAL CONCEPT
The National Government established in South Azerbaijan between 1945 and 1946 represents not merely a regional political transformation, but also the first comprehensive process of state formation and identity construction of Azerbaijani Turkdom in the modern era. The most concrete and enduring intellectual legacy of this period is the work titled “Qızıl Səhifələr” (From the History of the Struggle of the Azerbaijani People on the Path of National Liberation), printed in 1946 at the “Elmiyye” printing house in Tabriz. Examined in depth by Dr. Pervane Memmedli, this work constitutes a vivid chronicle encompassing the political-journalistic legacy of Seyid Cafer Pişeveri, the founding leader of the National Government, the core programs of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party (ADP), and the people’s struggle for language, identity, and sovereignty. This report provides an in-depth analysis of the content of this work, its historical context, and its significance for South Azerbaijan strategic studies.
NEW PROTESTS IN IRAN; A WEARY SOCIETY AND A CHANGING WORLD
It is not possible to view the recent protests in Iran merely as a repetition of previous waves of discontent. What is visible today in the streets, on social networks, and even in the meaningful silences of society is the product of the intersection of three simultaneous crises: chronic economic erosion, the collapse of political trust, and the feeling of being caught in the midst of geopolitical storms. This combination distinguishes the new protests from the 2022 (1401) uprising—not only in terms of demands, but also in terms of collective mood and the horizon of expectations.
EARLY POLITICAL FORMATIONS IN SOUTH AZERBAIJAN
This study subjects the origins of early political figures and geographical centers, typically treated within the narrative of the “rise of the Persian Empire” in ancient Near Eastern historiography to a critical re-examination. Focusing on the Elamite identity of the city of Anshan (Tepe Malyan), the article questions conventional assumptions regarding the ethno-cultural affiliations of figures such as Teispes and Cyrus I. In light of archaeological evidence and primary cuneiform sources, it analyzes the historicity of the so-called “Achaemenid” genealogy, allegedly constructed under Darius I and the prevailing narratives that portray early rulers as ethnically Persian, while also engaging with alternative hypotheses that emphasize Eurasian steppe connections.
An Analysis of the Impact of “Kin-State” Victories on South Azerbaijan
The military developments of 2020 and 2023 in the South Caucasus cannot be read merely as a territorial shift or a tactical victory for the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Karabakh War. These events have created an epistemological, identity-based, and political rupture in the collective consciousness of the Turks of South Azerbaijan—a rupture that has activated deeper layers of history, collective memory, nation-building policies in Iran, and the logic of power in Eurasia. From the perspective of the “Center for Strategic Studies of South Azerbaijan,” these developments must be understood as a quiet revolution in national consciousness; a revolution emerging not from the streets, but from battlefields, media, historical narratives, and the redefinition of the “nation-state” relationship.
