In recent days, Iranian officials and experts have been making harsh and intense statements against the opening of the Zangezur Corridor. However, looking at the content of these statements, one can notice that they are directed against Russia and not Azerbaijan. Most likely, Iran is showing solidarity with Western countries and trying to align its policy against Russia. At the same time, Iran wants Russia to act as an independent player in the Caucasus and take its interests into account. Thus, although Iran’s policy in the Caucasus region after the Turkmenchay agreement was based on the “Russia first” approach, it seems that Tehran is moving away from this approach.
Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that it has no territorial claims against Armenia and that the concept of the Zangezur corridor is only a transport corridor. Moreover, the opening of this highway will not have a negative impact on transport communication between Iran and Armenia. As before, Iran can reach Georgia and the Black Sea through Armenia.
Azerbaijan is actively involved in creating the corridor in all directions, including the North-South direction, and creating new access opportunities for Iran. Any corridor leads to facilitation of transport, deepening of cooperation, and Iran itself can gain access to Europe through the Zangezur corridor. In this regard, Tehran’s contradictory approach is not understandable.
the topic Oku.AzA political scientist who evaluates Elshad Hasanov He said that the rise of protests against the opening of the Zangezur corridor in Iran intensified after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Azerbaijan:
“This primarily concerns members of parliament and the Supreme Security Council, as well as some generals. Later, the Iranian ambassador to Armenia also joined this campaign. The main issue that irritated them in this regard was the speech of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stating that on November 10, 2020, Article 9 of the Trilateral Declaration signed in November has not yet been fulfilled. According to this provision, the security of the transport corridor connecting the western regions of Nakhchivan is guaranteed by Russian forces. After that, in order to support Armenia, the territorial integrity of Armenia is violated or they started making absurd claims such as that Iran’s land border with Armenia will be closed.”
“It is worth noting that the current Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said in his speeches that he is in favor of rapprochement with the West. It is no secret that Iran has always been connected with the West and fulfills its tasks. Tehran is still today, on the instructions of the West, the former Hamas leader is not answering Israel for the death of Ismail Haniyeh and is putting his name on hold in the event of such a conflict between Russia and Iran. This shows that all this is happening under the influence of the West,” the political scientist said.
Our interviewer added that Ali Akbar Ahmadian, Secretary of the Supreme Security Council of Iran, also participated in the meeting of senior representatives of the BRICS+ countries in St. Petersburg, Russia, and according to Russian media, the Zangezur Corridor was included in the discussion at the meeting on his initiative:
“However, one thing must be known: the great powers of the world want the opening of the Zangezur corridor. At the same time, Armenian officials have repeatedly said that they will control it if the corridor is opened. Therefore, Armenia is also interested in the opening of this corridor. In this regard, Iran is particularly jealous of the opening of the Zangezur corridor. Protests are absurd, and official Tehran will not achieve anything with absurd claims.
Merahim Nasib
