Dr. Hamidreza Azizi
Africa and Middle East Visiting Fellow
Areas of Expertise
FocusIranian Foreign Policy, Syria, Iraq, Iran-Russia Relations, Geopolitics and Security in the Middle East and Central Eurasia
Short Curriculum Vitae
Since 01/2023 Visiting Fellow, Africa and Middle East Research Division, SWP Berlin
2022 CATS Fellow, SWP Berlin
2020–2022 Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, Africa and Middle East Research Division, SWP Berlin
2016-2020 Assistant Professor of Regional Studies at Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran
2016-2018 Guest Lecturer at the Regional Studies Department at the University of Tehran
2011-2015 Ph.D. Candidate in Regional Studies at the University of Tehran
2012-2013 Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Middle East Strategic Studies, Tehran
SWP Publications
-
Reclaiming Iraqi Agency
Post-election Dynamics and Challenges
SWP Comment 2026/C 03, 20.01.2026, 8 Pagesdoi:10.18449/2026C03
-
The Political Transition in Syria: Regional and International Interests
SWP Comment 2025/C 11, 18.03.2025, 8 Pagesdoi:10.18449/2025C11
-
The Fall of the Assad Regime: Regional and International Power Shifts
SWP Comment 2025/C 09, 25.02.2025, 8 Pagesdoi:10.18449/2025C09
-
Turkey-Iran Rivalry in the Changing Geopolitics of the South Caucasus
SWP Comment 2023/C 49, 27.09.2023, 6 Pagesdoi:10.18449/2023C49
-
Turkish and Iranian Involvement in Iraq and Syria
Competing strategies, rising threat perceptions, and potentials for conflict
SWP Comment 2022/C 58, 12.10.2022, 8 Pagesdoi:10.18449/2022C58
-
The War in Ukraine and Its Impact on Syria
Humanitarian Deterioration and Risks of Disrupting a Volatile Status Quo
SWP Comment 2022/C 32, 28.04.2022, 8 Pagesdoi:10.18449/2022C32
External publications
-
The Axis of Resistance. Iran, Israel and the struggle for the Middle East.
An unconventional alliance has come to define the geopolitical dynamics of the Middle East. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has been building a sprawling web of regional allies – from Hezbollah in Lebanon to Shiite militias in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in Gaza – all aimed at challenging what they see as a US-led regional order and Israel’s military supremacy. But, after decades of expansion, has this alliance – the Axis of Resistance – reached its breaking point?
Polity Books, 2026, 276 Pages -
The Axis of Resistance and Shifting Gulf Alliances
How has the recent U.S.-Israel war on Iran shifted the balance of power in the Middle East? Dr. Hamidreza Azizi joins CR Amplified to discuss the restructuring of the Axis of Resistance, the fracturing alliances of the Gulf States, and Iran’s long-term strategy for regional deterrence.
Interview with Abigail Flynn, in: CR Amplified Podcast ep. 9, 18.05.2026 -
Iran’s relationship with China
This episode investigates the relationship between China and Iran, Russia’s role in this multilateral triangle, and how Teheran’s view of the global order aligns with and differs from Beijing’s.
Interview mit Johannes Heller-John, in: MERICS China Podcast, 13.05.2026 -
The New Leaders Calling the Shots in Iran
in: Time, 09.05.2026 -
America and Israel against Iran: Strategic results during the ceasefire
Clingendael, 24.04.2026 -
How Mojtaba Khamenei Became the Supreme Leader
And What It Means for Iran’s Domestic and Foreign Policy
in: Iran Analytica, 11.03.2026