Iran has expressed strong opposition to a planned transit corridor outlined in a United States-brokered peace accord between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The corridor, named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), would link Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani enclave bordering Turkey, and operate under Armenian law. Ali Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, stated that Tehran would block the initiative “with or without Russia”, with which Iran has a strategic alliance alongside Armenia.
Velayati criticized the plan, saying US President Donald Trump “thinks the Caucasus is a piece of real estate he can lease for 99 years”. He added that the passage “will not become a gateway for Trump’s mercenaries — it will become their graveyard,” describing the plan as “political treachery” aimed at undermining Armenia’s territorial integrity. Velayati also argued that the corridor would open the way for NATO to position itself “like a viper” between Iran and Russia.
Iran’s foreign ministry expressed concern about the negative consequences of any foreign intervention in the vicinity of its borders. While welcoming the peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the ministry emphasized that any project near Iran’s borders should be developed “with respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and without foreign interference”. This stance is shared by Armenia, which has rejected the concept of an extraterritorial corridor. Armenian Ambassador to Iran Arsen Avakian stated that his country is able to act as a gateway connecting Iran to the Eurasian market, but any extraterritorial corridor is “unacceptable”.
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs cautiously welcomed the peace deal, supporting efforts to promote stability and prosperity in the region. However, it warned against outside intervention, arguing that lasting solutions should be developed by countries in the region. “The involvement of non-regional players should strengthen the peace agenda, not create new divisions,” the ministry said. Turkey, a NATO member and ally of Azerbaijan, hopes the planned transit corridor will boost exports of energy and other resources through the South Caucasus.
Ahmad Shahidov, of the Azerbaijan Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, expects a final peace declaration between Armenia and Azerbaijan to be signed in the coming weeks. He believes Friday’s US-brokered deal constitutes a “roadmap” for the final agreement, which appears imminent given there are no unresolved territorial disputes between the two neighbors.