Reading: The first article for today is from Euronews Persian (27 September 2020). It is about the beginning of the war between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Republic of Artsakh (self-proclaimed), which lasted for 44 days.
The second article from BBC Persian is about Iran’s concerns regarding the issue of establishment of the “Zangezur Corridor” along its border with Armenia (September 2024).
Listening: For this section, the students will watch a short documentary by Iran International about the roots of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Additionally, for insight into more recent developments, students may watch a VOA Farsi video report on the mass exodus of the Armenian population from Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023.
Subject of Conversation: The regional developments in the South Caucasus and Iran (تحولات منطقه ای در قفقاز جنوبی و ایران)
In this conversation, students will discuss Iran’s foreign policy in the South Caucasus, examining existing challenges, strategic threats, and emerging opportunities. Topics may include Iran’s position on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, its border security concerns, and the broader geopolitical context. The discussion will strengthen students’ ability to articulate complex foreign policy issues in Persian using relevant vocabulary and expressions.
Homework:
- Please carefully read the text of the first article and study the vocabulary.
- Watch the first additional video - the VOA Farsi report - and create a vocabulary list of unfamiliar words from it.
- Conduct some background research on tomorrow’s topic and related vocabulary to prepare for the discussion.
Vocabulary (First Article):
| Persian | Transcription | Translation |
| درگیری | dargiri | clash, conflict |
| مناقشه | monāqeše | conflict |
| از سر گرفته شدن | az sar gerefte šodan | to begin |
| مدعی بودن | modda’i budan | to claim |
| توپخانه | tupxāne | artillery |
| در پی | dar pey-e | after (something) |
| تشدید | tašdid | escalation |
| غیرنظامی | γeyr-e nezāmi | civilian |
| تحت کنترل | taht-e kontrol-e | under control of |
| مسلط شدن | mosallat šodan | to gain control |
| سخنگو | soxangu | speaker |
| وزارت دفاع | vezārat-e defā’ | ministry of defence |
| واکنش | vākoneš | reaction |
| ادعا | edde’ā | claim |
| رد کردن | radd kardan | to deny |
| فتح | fath | conquest |
| توسط | tavassot-e | by |
| تکذیب کردن | takzib kardan | to deny |
| همخوانی داشتن | hamxāni dāštan | to correspond, to match |
| تحریک آمیز | tahrikāmiz | provocative |
| بالگرد | bālgard | helicopter |
| سرنگونی | sarneguni | destruction |
| سامانه‌ی موشکی | sāmāne-ye mušaki | missile system |
| جدایی طلب | jodāyitalab | separatist |
| خسارات | xesārat | damages, casualties |
| تهاجم | tahājom | invasion |
| سامانۀ پدافند هوایی | sāmāne-ye padāfand-e havāyi | air defense system |
| کلیه | koliyye | totality, all |
| خطوط (مفرد: خط) | xotut (sing. xatt) | lines |
| خط تماس | xatt-e tamās | contact line |
| پناه‌گاه | panāhgāh | shelter, refuge |
| تصریح کردن | tasrih kardan | to declare, to state clearly |
| تبادل آتش | tabādol-e ātaš | exchange of fire |
| وارد شدن | vāred šodan | to enter; here: to be caused, to happen |
Vocabulary (Documentary):
| Persian Word | Transcription | English Translation |
| تانک | tānk | tank |
| نابود شدن | nābud šodan | to be destroyed |
| راکت | rāket | rocket |
| شلیک شدن | šellik šodan | to be fired (a shot, missile) |
| گلوله | golule | bullet, shell |
| تمام‌عیار | tamām'ayār | full-scale, outright |
| آرس | āras | Aras (river) |
| قربانی شدن | qorbāni šodan | to fall victim, to be sacrificed |
| آواره بودن | āvāre budan | to be displaced |
| بحران | bohrān | crisis |
| راه حل | rāh-e hall | solution |
| انجامیدن | anjāmidan | to result in, to lead to |
| فعل و انفعال | fe‘l o enfe‘āl | interaction |
| خودمختاری | xodmoxtāri | autonomy |
| اشغال | ešγāl | occupation |
| تسخیر | tasxir | capture, seizure |
| شورای امنیت | šourā-ye amniyyat | Security Council |
| قطعنامه | qat‘nāme | resolution |
| آتشبس | ātašbas | ceasefire |
| خودخوانده | xodxānde | self-proclaimed |
| متهم کردن | mottaham kardan | to accuse |
| دست کم | dast-e kam | at least |
| عهدنامه | ‘ahdnāme | treaty, pact |
| دست کوتاه شدن | dast kutāh šodan | to lose influence, to be weakened |
| تاخت و تاز | tāxt o tāz | invasion, foray |
| متمادی | motamādi | consecutive, continuous |
| موقعیت | moqe‘iyyat | position, situation |
| تقاطع | taqāto‘ | intersection |
| صعب العبور | sa‘b ol-‘obur | impassable |
| سد | sadd | dam, barrier |
| ملوک خمسه | moluk-e xamse | Five Meliks (of Karabakh) |
| اصل و نسب | asl o nasab | lineage, ancestry |
| در پناه | dar panāh-e | under the protection of |
| بافت | bāft | fabric, texture; urban tissue |
| کوچ اجباری | kuč-e ejbāri | forced migration |