Iranian Defense Minister Rules Out New War Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

TEHRAN — Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani ruled out the possibility of outbreak of a war in the Caucasus amid concerns about the escalation of tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Iranian Tasnim news agency reported.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting in Tehran on Wednesday, the defense minister soothed the worries about the recent developments in the Caucasus. “We believe that no war will break out in the region,” he stated.

“We do not accept any change in the borders,” Ashtiani said, adding that the Iranian army’s General Staff also made this clear when it discussed increased tensions in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone during a recent meeting.

On Monday, the spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of Iran said Tehran was closely monitoring the situation in the Caucasus and stays in contact with Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan to ensure peace and security.

“The Armenian officials voiced concern about the possibility of (military) clashes, but the Azerbaijani officials gave a message that they have no intention of clashing (with Armenia),” Kanaani said, describing the Republic of Azerbaijan’s recent deployment of troops as a “conventional military action” ahead of winter.

In a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi assured Armenia of Iran’s opposition to any alteration to the regional boundaries, saying Tehran is prepared to play “an effective role” as a “powerful neighbor” to prevent regional clashes or geopolitical changes.