The foreign minister of Iran said that the country would react carefully to any plan or project that could limit its ability to use important routes or undermine its strategic interests, in a warning to the U.S. about the Zangezur corridor near Iran’s northern border.
Newsweek has contacted the U.S. State Department for comment.
Why It Matters
Dubbed the “Trump Bridge” and the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity,” the corridor would link Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave via southern Armenia, after the two countries agreed to a U.S.-brokered peace deal.
Iran and its ally Russia, which have welcomed the peace deal signed at the White House last week, worry that the transit route could shift regional influence, reduce their leverage and give the U.S. and Azerbaijan greater control over strategic transport and trade routes.
What To Know
Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, said the newly proposed transport corridor “must not block Iran’s ability to access other transit routes,” according to Tasnim News Agency.
His comments echoed those of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who emphasized the need to block foreign military or security presence in the corridor. Through a 99-year-lease agreement, the U.S. and its forces will gain access near Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, while boosting American influence in the Russian-dominated South Caucasus.
According to Vahan Kostanyan, Armenia’s deputy foreign minister, the opening of new regional communication routes would boost Armenia-Iran railway cooperation, including via the Nakhchivan–Jolfa line, giving Iran access to Armenia and the Black Sea, he told Iranian media.
What People Are Saying
Araghchi, as quoted by Tasnim: “I emphasized once again that while the Islamic Republic of Iran supports the establishment of peace and stability in the relations among the neighboring states, it pays special attention to the maintenance of the region’s geopolitical stability and its national interests, and will show special sensitivity to any plan or project that may restrict our country’s access to routes or the fulfillment of its interests.”
Kostanyan, in an interview with Islamic Republic News Agency on Thursday: “It is important for us to hear the feedback and opinions of brotherly countries, especially Iran.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, in a statement on August 9: “Involvement of actors outside the region should contribute to strengthening the peace agenda rather than create additional difficulties and dividing lines. It would be prudent to avoid repeating the counterproductive outcomes of Western conflict mediation in the Middle East.”
What Happens Next
Armenia and Azerbaijan have yet to ratify the peace treaty.
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