In this episode of From the Periphery, we dissect Ilham Aliyev’s latest expansionist remarks and what they signal for the region. We revisit the history of the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict and the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh in 2023, then examine how Aliyev’s rhetoric denies Armenian indigeneity and lays ideological groundwork for claims on Armenia’s territory. A conversation about imperial ambition, historical memory, and the international incentives that enable both.