Iran, Armenia pursue rail link through Syunik to diversify regional trade routes
Iran and Armenia are pressing ahead with efforts to establish a railway link through Armenia’s southern Syunik province.
Armenia’s Ambassador to Iran Grigor Hakobyan and Jabarali Zakari, head of Iran’s national railway company, on Sunday discussed expanding rail cooperation and connecting the two countries’ railway networks during a meeting, according to Mehr News Agency.
Hakobyan said the link could give Armenia access to southern waterways and help diversify Iran’s transport routes to Europe.
Zakari highlighted Armenia’s potential role in regional transit networks, particularly the International North-South Transport Corridor, saying greater participation could boost rail freight across the region.
The proposed connection would pass through Syunik, a narrow province in southern Armenia extending along the Iranian border.
The link could provide Armenia with greater access to railway routes leading to southern Iran, while giving Iran an additional rail connection to Armenia, the Black Sea and European markets. It could also diversify bilateral trade routes and strengthen Armenia’s role in regional north-south corridors.
The project has not yet been established through a new bilateral agreement between the two governments.
A previous Southern Armenian Railway project was proposed in 2012 after a concession was granted to Rasia FZE, a Dubai-based investment company, to connect Iran and Armenia as part of a Persian Gulf-Black Sea transport route.
Efforts to revive the railway connection gained momentum in 2026 under the proposed Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP). Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the railway section would run between Nernadzor and Agarak in Syunik, linking Armenia’s railway network to Iran’s.
The proposed connection could strengthen trade between the Persian Gulf, Armenia and the Black Sea by expanding transit and commercial opportunities.