Iran cautioned on Saturday that any foreign interference near its borders could undermine security in the South Caucasus after Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a US-brokered peace agreement.
“We express our concern about the negative consequences of any foreign intervention, especially in the vicinity of our shared borders, that could harm the region’s lasting security and stability,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
It said Iran “welcomes the finalization of the peace text by the two countries” as “an important step in achieving lasting peace in the region,” but added that projects near its borders should be developed “within the framework of mutual interests, with respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and without foreign interference.”
Agreement signed in Washington
The announcement came a day after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed the agreement at the White House with US President Donald Trump. The agreement includes exclusive US development rights to a strategic transit corridor through the South Caucasus that the White House said would facilitate greater exports of energy and other resources.
That route will connect Azerbaijan and its autonomous Nakhchivan exclave, which are separated by a 32-kilometer-wide (20-mile-wide) patch of Armenian territory. The deal includes an agreement that will create a major transit corridor to be named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, the White House said.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have long been in conflict over territory and fought several wars. Russia acted as the main mediator for years, but its influence has declined since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Tehran calls for regional framework
The ministry said Iran is ready to continue “constructive cooperation” with Armenia and Azerbaijan through bilateral and regional channels, including the 3+3 mechanism, which brings together Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia with Iran, Russia and Turkey to address regional issues without outside powers.
