Iran has raised concerns over a planned US-backed corridor
Iran Warns Armenia Over US-Backed Corridor Linking Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan
Tehran/Tbilisi – August 12, 2025 — Iran has stepped up its warnings to Armenia over a planned US-backed transit corridor linking Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave, calling it part of a wider American strategy to expand influence in the Caucasus region.
The proposed route, dubbed the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity”, is a key element of a peace agreement signed last week in Washington between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The United States would hold development rights for the corridor, which would pass close to the Iranian border.
Pezeshkian Cautions Against US ‘Hegemonic Goals’
In a phone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that the project could serve US “hegemonic goals” under the guise of economic investment and peace guarantees.
While stressing that Iran supports agreements that strengthen peace among its neighbours, Pezeshkian emphasised that “no military or security force” should be involved in implementing the corridor.
Iran fears the corridor, also known as the Zangezur route, could cut its land connection to Armenia and the rest of the Caucasus, while increasing the presence of potentially hostile foreign powers near its borders.
Tehran’s Diplomatic Push
Armenia’s deputy foreign minister is scheduled to visit Tehran on Tuesday for talks. On Saturday, a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader said Tehran would not allow the corridor’s creation, warning that it could become “a graveyard for Trump’s mercenaries.”
Details of the US-Brokered Deal
On Monday, Armenia and Azerbaijan released the text of the peace deal, pledging to:
- Respect each other’s territorial integrity
- End all territorial claims
- Avoid the use of force
- Adhere to international law
The agreement, initialled by both countries’ foreign ministers, follows decades of conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan regained full control of the region in 2023, leading almost the entire ethnic Armenian population to flee.
“This agreement is a solid foundation for establishing a reliable and lasting peace,” Pashinyan wrote on Facebook.
International Response and Exclusions
The accord has been welcomed by the European Union, Türkiye, and Russia, though Moscow — traditionally Armenia’s key security partner — was excluded from the talks and warned against foreign interference.
The deal bans the deployment of third-party forces along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, likely referencing Russia’s past peacekeeping presence. The EU currently operates a monitoring mission at the border, which Baku has repeatedly asked to withdraw.
Despite progress, the peace deal has yet to be signed. A major sticking point remains Azerbaijan’s demand that Armenia amend its constitution, which Baku claims implicitly lays claim to Azerbaijani territory.
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