Iran Vows to Block U.S. Corridor in South Caucasus

Ali Akbar Velayati, adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said Tehran will not allow the creation of a U.S.-backed corridor in the South Caucasus, whether or not Moscow joins the effort, Orda.kz reports, citing Tasnim news agency.

He warned that Iran will use all available means to prevent the project, which it sees as a threat to the region’s stability.

According to him, Iran and Russia share the view that the Zangezur Corridor must not fall under U.S. and NATO control, accusing the West of trying to undermine bilateral cooperation. He also suggested that Azerbaijan could connect to its Nakhchivan exclave via Iranian territory, bypassing the disputed route.

On August 9 in Washington, under the mediation of U.S. President Donald Trump, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a declaration on peaceful relations.

One of its key provisions is the creation of a transport corridor linking mainland Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan through Armenian territory along the Iranian border. The route, dubbed the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity,” grants the U.S. exclusive rights to implement the project for 99 years.

Armenia retains legal ownership, however.

Original Author: Raushan Korzhumbekova