Changing Borders in the South Caucasus is a “Red Line” for Iran

TEHRAN — “Regional peace, security and stability are not just a preference, but a pillar of our national security. Any threat from the North, South, East or West to the territorial integrity of our neighbors or changing borders is absolutely unacceptable and is a red line for Iran,” Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi wrote on his X page.

Iran has told Russia to stop pushing for a land corridor that would connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave through a key Armenian region, according to an Iranian news agency believed to be affiliated with the country’s powerful Revolutionary Guards.

In an article published on Wednesday, the semi-official agency, Tasnim, pointed to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s recent statements accusing Armenia of “sabotaging” a Russian-brokered agreement to open the corridor. The accusations added to heightened tensions between Moscow and Yerevan.

“According to informed sources, Iran’s ambassador to Moscow has recently voiced Tehran’s protest against the Russian Foreign Ministry’s stance on the Zangezur corridor,” wrote Tasnim. “In Iran, experts have advised Russia to bear in mind that Tehran is opposed to the creation of any corridor whatsoever that would connect Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan through Armenia, saying Russians should not be surprised to hear about Iran’s legitimate, clear and unchanging views on this issue.”

No country in the South Caucasus should enjoy a geopolitical advantage over “the others,” it said, adding that “Moscow should therefore never expect to use the idea of the Zangezur corridor in order to settle disputes with Armenia.”

Earlier this week, a senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official, Mojtaba Demirchilou, met with the Russian ambassador in Tehran to discuss “ongoing developments in the Caucasus.” A ministry statement cited Demirchilou as reiterating Iran’s strong opposition to any “geopolitical changes” in the region.

“The Iranian diplomat also stressed the need to take into consideration the legitimate concerns and interests of all countries in the region,” added the statement.