Why Iran fears Corridor that Armenia sees as lifeline [ANALYSIS] |
Senior Iranian diplomat Ali Akbar Velayati’s repeated warnings against the opening of the Zangazur Corridor and its association with what he describes as a Trump plan for the Caucasus reveal more about Iran’s strategic anxieties than about the actual mechanics or intent of the corridor itself. His remarks to the Armenian ambassador, framed as a defence of regional security, sit uneasily alongside Armenia’s own readiness to cooperate with Washington and Azerbaijan on opening the route under the (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity) or literally Transport and Regional Infrastructure Peace Platform proposal. This disconnect exposes a widening gap between Iran’s threat perception and the evolving interests of its northern neighbours.
For Armenia, the opening of the Zangazur Corridor represents an obvious opportunity to escape structural isolation rather than a concession of sovereignty. After decades of closed borders with Türkiye and Azerbaijan, and limited connectivity beyond Georgia and Iran, Yerevan increasingly understands that economic resilience depends on integration rather than obstruction. In addition, although Yerevan and Tehran are neighbouring states bound by historical ties and overlapping geopolitical interests, Armenia’s growing orientation towards the West exerts a far stronger pull, almost magnetically. For a country seeking, even if only partially, to exit Russia’s strategic orbit, drifting beyond the contours of Western engagement would place Armenia in a precarious position. It is for this reason that Yerevan, even if this sits uncomfortably with Tehran, does not reject the oversight of the historic route by a US company, and indeed views this arrangement as a form of security umbrella. Armenia is also fully aware that Western control over a strategic........