Iran has announced its opposition to a planned transit corridor in the Caucasus that is part of a US-brokered peace accord between Armenia and Azerbaijan, saying it will block the project “with or without Russia.”
Ali Akbar Velayati, senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, criticised the plan on Saturday, describing it as “political treachery” and an attempt to undermine Armenia’s territorial integrity. The corridor, outlined in the agreement signed at the White House on August 8, 2025, would connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenian territory, passing near Iran’s border.
Under the accord, the route — named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) — would operate under Armenian law but grant exclusive US development rights. Velayati alleged that the corridor would pave the way for NATO to position itself “like a viper” between Iran and Russia.
The Iranian foreign ministry also issued a statement cautioning against any foreign intervention near its borders, stressing that projects in the region should respect “national sovereignty and territorial integrity.” While welcoming the broader Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal, it made clear that Tehran opposes the proposed transit route.
Russia, a close ally of both Armenia and Iran, offered cautious support for the peace agreement but echoed concerns about non-regional powers influencing the Caucasus. The Russian foreign ministry said that outside involvement should “strengthen the peace agenda, not create new divisions.”
Meanwhile, Turkiye welcomed the corridor, calling it a potential boost to trade and energy exports through the South Caucasus. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the agreement with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, while Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the route could link Europe to Asia via Turkiye, calling it “a very beneficial development.”
The peace accord follows decades of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. Recent agreements, including Armenia’s return of several villages to Azerbaijan last year, have paved the way for a final peace declaration, which experts say could be signed in the coming weeks.
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