Iran’s President: Corridor Issue Set Aside, Focus Is on a Transit Road Under Armenia’s Sovereignty

TEHRAN — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, responding to a question about the declaration signed at the White House between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, said that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had briefed him on the matter, according to Iran’s Mehr news agency.

“Of course, this corridor is not what the media have exaggerated,” the Iranian president stated, adding that “the Islamic Republic’s demands have been met.”

“In this matter, the principle that the Islamic Republic had in mind — preserving territorial integrity and establishing connections with Europe, rather than severing ties from the north — is visible,” Pezeshkian continued.

“The only concerning point is that both Armenian and American companies want to build this road,” he added.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, for his part, commented on the initialing of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement and the declaration signed in Washington regarding the unblocking of communications in the South Caucasus.

“As for relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan, we have repeatedly held discussions with them and are in constant consultation with both sides. We welcome any peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and have previously expressed our readiness to cooperate and assist in the peace process between the two countries,” Araghchi said, according to Iran’s IRNA news agency.

Addressing the declaration on unblocking communications, Araghchi stated:
“Our positions on the region are also clear: we want all countries in the region to maintain full sovereignty over their territories, and we support the territorial integrity of all regional states. We also defend international borders and do not accept any changes to them. The joint statement between Armenia and Azerbaijan includes three principles: respect for the sovereignty of regional countries, respect for territorial integrity, and opposition to any change of borders. These fully align with the positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The corridor issue has been completely set aside, and the focus is on a transit road to be built under Armenia’s sovereignty and jurisdiction, within its territory. The implementation of this project will be the responsibility of a company — reportedly an American-Armenian company registered in Armenia and operating under Armenian law.

Of course, as stated in the Foreign Ministry’s announcement, any foreign presence in the region, in any form, could have negative consequences for peace and stability. We have always raised this issue with both Azerbaijan and Armenia and will continue to do so. We are closely monitoring developments. So far, our principled positions have been respected, but the possible presence of an American company is a cause for concern, and we will continue consultations on this matter. Iran has warned against any foreign presence in the region, emphasizing that such actions could threaten peace and stability. The possible involvement of an American company in this project is a matter of concern for Iran, and this has been discussed with the parties. We are following developments closely.”