Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has cautioned that US economic initiatives in the South Caucasus may be a cover for expanding American dominance in the region. The remarks came during a phone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, as reported by the Iranian president’s official Telegram channel.
“We must closely monitor Washington’s next steps, as its investment projects and peace rhetoric could mask hegemonic ambitions in the South Caucasus,” Pezeshkian stated. He specifically warned against allowing third-party military involvement in a planned transit corridor linking mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave.
The comments follow earlier statements by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who noted that Armenia and Azerbaijan had dropped discussions on an extraterritorial Zangezur corridor. Araghchi stressed that Tehran’s current concerns revolve around growing foreign influence in the region, prompting ongoing consultations with Yerevan.
On August 8, following trilateral talks in Washington with US President Donald Trump, Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev and Pashinyan signed a joint declaration on a peace deal and the creation of a new transit route between the two nations. Dubbed the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity,” the corridor will be managed by the US for 99 years under the agreement.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS