Iran’s policy towards Nagorno-Karabakh crisis within the framework of ontological security approach

This study examines Iran’s policy towards the second Nagorno-Karabakh Crisis within the framework of an ontological security approach. The study argues that explanations focused solely on geopolitics or physical security fall short of fully grasping Iran’s stance on the crisis; it contends that the process can only be understood through the regime’s ontological security codes, biographical narratives and legitimacy seeking. To test this argument, leading Iranian newspapers representing three distinct political orientations (Javan, Kayhan, Etemad) were analysed using systematic deductive coding and critical discourse analysis techniques. The results of the analysis indicate that the conservative Javan and Kayhan newspapers, which prioritize the regime’s legitimacy and ontological security, interpret the crisis through the ‘Resistance paradigm’ and frame Azerbaijan’s gains as an ontological threat supported by the United States of America, Israel and Türkiye—a sort of ‘soft war’. Conversely, the reformist Etemad newspaper, has adopted a discourse based on realistic, rational and systemic power calculations rather than ontological concerns. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that the pursuit of ontological security is not a homogeneous state policy; different institutions or actors within the same regime may perceive external crises differently and link them to the establishment and continuity of their own internal legitimacy.