Pezeshkian raises alarm over foreign security intervention in Caucasus
Pashinyan says no deal inked unless Iran’s interests respected
Iran on Monday said there is a need for vigilance on any foreign military or security intervention in the Caucasus region following a US-brokered agreement reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which involves the implementation of a transportation corridor project with the participation of Washington.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in a phone call with Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the preservation of Armenia's sovereignty and a lack of interference by military or security forces within the framework of the project.
Pezeshkian also "warned against possible actions by the United States, which could pursue hegemonic goals in the Caucasus region under the guise of economic investments and peace guarantees."
Pezeshkian further said that Iran welcomes any agreement that promotes peace, particularly among regional countries.
On Friday, Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed the US-mediated peace deal at the White House. The accord includes the creation of a transit corridor through Armenia to connect Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhchivan.
Under the deal, the United States will have development rights to the corridor – dubbed the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity" (TRIPP) – in the strategic, resource-rich region.
Iran has long opposed the corridor – often referred to as Zangezur – fearing it would cut the Islamic Republic off from the Caucasus.
The Armenian prime minister, for his part, presented the outcomes of the August 8 talks in Washington, underscoring that regional routes will function within the framework of the principles of the countries’ territorial integrity and sovereignty.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s emphasis on preserving Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is highly valuable and significant for us. We will not sign any agreement unless we are fully assured that the interests, considerations, and sensitivities of our friendly neighbor, Iran, are respected.”
Christian-majority Armenia and Muslim-majority Azerbaijan have feuded for decades over their border and the status of ethnic enclaves within each other's territories.
The nations went to war twice over the disputed Karabakh region, which Azerbaijan recaptured from Armenian forces in a lightning 2023 offensive, sparking the exodus of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians.