Collateral Damage? Central Asia and the South Caucasus in the Israel-Iran Conflict

Both Central Asian and South Caucasian states border Iran and rely on key transit routes as well as economic and political ties with Tehran as they seek to bolster their sovereignty through multi-vector regional foreign policies. To what extent are these goals compromised by U.S. and Israeli efforts to isolate Iran?

On July 28, 2025, the Center for the National Interest invited a distinguished panel of experts to address these and other questions.

—James Durso is the Managing Director of Corsair LLC and a frequent commentator on Central Asian and Middle Eastern affairs. He served as a logistics officer in the U.S. Navy, with postings in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq. He recently authored “The US Aimed at Iran But Might Have Hit Central Asia” in The Diplomat.

—Roger Kangas is the Academic Dean and a Professor of Central Asian Studies at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, a regional center at National Defense University.

—Alouddin Komilov is the Head of the International Political Development Project at the Center for Progressive Reforms and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Webster University in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He recently co-authored “Central Asia: Caught in the Crossfire” in The National Interest.

—Damjan Krnjević Mišković is Professor of Practice at ADA University in Baku, Azerbaijan where he also serves as Director of Policy Research, Analysis, and Publications at its Institute for Development and Diplomacy. At the turn of the century, he served as Managing Editor of The National Interest and was also a Fellow in European Affairs at the Center for the National Interest.

Andrew Kuchins, Senior Fellow at the Center for the National Interest, moderated the discussion.