This study is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of the May 2006 events in South Azerbaijan , including their background, course, and consequences for the Azerbaijani national movement and interethnic relations in the country. Special attention is paid to the causes of the protests, the structure and dynamics of the movement, as well as the response of Iranian authorities to the demands of the population. The research shows that the May events had a pronounced national and political character: the protests began spontaneously with the active participation of students and gradually acquired an organized form, involving representatives of the intelligentsia, university workers, and official authorities of East Azerbaijan province.

The study examines internal and external political factors: the role of domestic and expatriate Persian opposition forces, the position of the United States, and the influence of foreign policy factors on the events. It is revealed that the national demands of Azerbaijanis, which were local and ethnocultural in nature, did not align with the global interests of external actors, which limited their support. The internal Persian opposition could also not become a full-fledged ally of the movement, as it sought to maintain its dominant position

Special attention is given to the structure of the national movement, the emergence of leaders, and the formation of two centers of leadership: the official one — provincial authorities, and the national one — representatives of the Azerbaijani movement. The study demonstrates that the May 2006 events opened a new stage in the development of the Azerbaijani national movement, showing increased national consciousness and the population’s readiness to defend its rights. The results of the research are of scientific and practical value for the study of ethnopolitics, interethnic relations, and the development of civil society in multiethnic states.