Iran has announced its intention to block a transportation corridor outlined in a U.S.-brokered peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which has been praised by various regional players for its potential to foster long-term peace.
Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to Iran’s supreme leader, stated on Saturday that Tehran will prevent the initiative from occurring “with or without Russia,” highlighting Iran’s strategic alliance with Armenia and its relationship with Russia.
Referring to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal, Velayati condemned the corridor, stating, “This passage will not become a gateway for Trump’s mercenaries — it will become their graveyard,” and characterized the plan as “political treachery” that seeks to compromise Armenia’s territorial integrity.
The peace accord, revealed during a signing ceremony at the White House, includes exclusive U.S. development rights for a route through Armenia that would connect Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani enclave adjacent to Turkey.
This corridor, set to be named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), will run near the Iranian border and operate under Armenian jurisdiction.
Velayati raised concerns that the corridor could provide NATO with a platform to establish a presence “like a viper” between Iran and Russia.
In a separate statement, Iran’s foreign ministry expressed apprehensions regarding any foreign involvement near its borders, despite giving cautious approval to the peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The ministry emphasized that any project in proximity to Iran should respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and it must not involve foreign interference.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs delicately welcomed the accord, affirming Moscow’s support for initiatives that foster stability and prosperity within the region, including the recent discussions in Washington.
Similar to Iran’s stance, the Russian ministry cautioned against external intervention, asserting that sustainable solutions should originate from regional countries.
“The involvement of non-regional players should strengthen the peace agenda, not create new divisions,” the ministry remarked, expressing hope to avoid the past troubles of Western-led conflict resolution endeavors in the Middle East.
In contrast, Turkey expressed optimism that the proposed transit corridor will enhance the exports of energy and other resources through the South Caucasus.
As a NATO member and a staunch ally of Azerbaijan, Turkey has actively supported Baku in its hostilities with Armenia.
However, Turkey has also promised to normalize relations with Yerevan post a final peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The Turkish presidency revealed that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan communicated with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev about the peace accord and offered Turkey’s backing in securing lasting peace in the region.
During a visit to Egypt, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan remarked on the upcoming corridor, asserting that it could “link Europe with the depths of Asia via Turkey” and would represent “a very beneficial development.”
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been embroiled in numerous conflicts since the late 1980s, primarily over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which had a predominantly ethnic Armenian populace at the time of its separation from Azerbaijan, with Armenian support.
In a significant development last year, Armenia consented to return several villages to Azerbaijan, an event that Baku described as a “long-awaited historic event.”
Ahmad Shahidov from the Azerbaijan Institute for Democracy and Human Rights conveyed to Al Jazeera that he anticipates a definitive peace declaration between Armenia and Azerbaijan to be signed soon.
Shahidov stated that the U.S.-brokered agreement serves as a “roadmap” for the final resolution, which seems to be on the verge of completion given the absence of ongoing territorial disputes between the two countries.
image source from：aljazeera
