Iran, Armenia to Hold Joint Military Exercise

YEREVAN — Armenia and Iran will hold a joint military exercise on the border between the two countries, the Armenian Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday.

In a statement, the ministry said that the exercise involving special forces units of the Armenian and Iranian armies will start later in the day and last for two days.

“The Armenian Armed Forces unit will conduct the exercise on the territory of Armenia, while the Iranian Armed Forces unit will conduct the exercise on the territory of Iran,” it said.

They will simulate a joint operation against imaginary “terrorist groups” attacking the Armenian-Iranian border crossings, added the statement. It said nothing about the number of the participating troops.

The Iranian military did not immediately confirm the conduct of what appear to be the first-ever Armenian-Iranian drills. They come amid what many in Armenia see as the increased risk of an Azerbaijani invasion aimed at opening a land corridor to Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan exclave through Syunik, the only Armenian province bordering Iran. Earlier this year, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev renewed his threats to forcibly open such a corridor also sought by Turkey.

Iran has repeatedly warned Azerbaijan as well as Turkey against attempting to strip it of the common border or direct transport links with Armenia. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reaffirmed Tehran’s strong opposition to the so-called “Zangezur corridor” when he visited Yerevan on March 25. The Armenian government has welcomed Tehran’s stance.