Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Yerevan on August 18, for high-stakes discussions with Armenian officials over a planned U.S.-backed transit corridor linking Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave, an infrastructure project known as the Zangezur corridor or the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP). The corridor, brokered in a U.S.-mediated peace accord on August 8 and granting America 99-year development rights, passes near Iran’s northern border, a proximity that Tehran has consistently warned poses a threat to regional stability.
Iran’s concerns are clear and forceful. Before departing, Pezeshkian voiced unease about the presence of American companies in the region and vowed to relay Tehran’s objections directly to Armenian counterparts. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed that sentiment in a phone call with his Armenian counterpart, stressing that the corridor must not impede Iran’s access to existing transit alternatives and must safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all concerned nations.
Tehran’s broader strategy came into sharper focus: senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Akbar Velayati had earlier warned that Tehran would block the project “with or without Russia,” describing the corridor as potentially turning into “a graveyard for Trump’s mercenaries.” These comments reflect fears that the corridor represents not just economic realignment but a geopolitical encroachment, circumstances that risk isolating Iran from Armenia and the greater Caucasus, while inviting unwelcome Western influence to its doorstep.
In Yerevan, Armenian officials reportedly reassured Iran that no American military or security forces would be deployed in connection with the corridor, a commitment that Tehran views as essential to any eventual compromise. Pezeshkian has also signaled that Iran’s “demands” regarding the corridor have been “met,” suggesting that reassurance on sovereignty and access balanced the project’s more contentious elements, though he cautioned that it still merits careful scrutiny.
