Iran expresses outrage over Russia's support for controversial 'Zangezur Corridor' project
In a scathing commentary, the Tasnim News Agency, closely affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), lambasted recent statements made by Russian Foreign Ministry officials advocating for the creation of the so-called "Zangezur Corridor."
The report emphasized Iran's staunch opposition to the project, indicating that Tehran has taken diplomatic steps to communicate its concerns to Russia. The Russian ambassador to Tehran, Alexei Dedov, was summoned to Iran's Foreign Ministry in protest.
In August, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Armenia of "sabotaging an agreement" to "unblock communications through Armenia's Syunik region." Later, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that the corridor is "discussed within the framework of a trilateral working group to unblock all economic and transport connections in the South Caucasus, co-chaired by the deputy prime ministers from Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia."
According to the Tasnim article, Iran underscores several critical points:
- Russian Foreign Ministry statements contradict Tehran’s expectations, despite Russia being well-informed of Iran’s stance.
- Iran opposes any corridor linking Nakhchivan with Azerbaijan.
- Tehran rejects any territorial changes along its borders.
- These Russian statements are "contrary to the foundations of strategic relations" between Iran and Russia.
“Iran views the opening of the ‘Zangezur Corridor’ as closing one of its gateways to Europe,” the report emphasizes, noting that Moscow cannot resolve its issues with Armenia at the expense of others.
Middle East expert Ruslan Suleymanov told The Insider that despite frequent statements of friendship and strategic cooperation, Moscow-Tehran relations are fraught with tension.
"There are many conflicts regarding the South Caucasus. Iran tends to react strongly to any increase in foreign presence in the region. The Zangezur Corridor would give Turkey direct access to Azerbaijan and Central Asia, increasing its regional influence. Tehran is baffled by Moscow's lack of prevention or even tacit support for this move," Suleymanov said. "Iranian officials rarely comment directly, preferring to use state-linked news agencies for harshly worded statements without directly taking responsibility.
"Iran has always opposed the Zangezur Corridor and proposed the 'Araz Corridor' as an alternative, bypassing Armenia via the Araz River to link Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave. Tehran agreed to this last year, even signing a preliminary agreement with Azerbaijan, but progress has been sluggish.
"Nevertheless, even Azerbaijan halted its advocacy for the Zangezur Corridor for a while. Apparently, Azerbaijan received some form of backing on this matter following Putin's visit to the country in August. It’s clear Russian-Armenian relations are strained, and Moscow might be pressuring Yerevan at Baku's behest. Russia's open statements about this puzzle Tehran, but I doubt it will lead to a crisis. This is merely rhetoric and wordplay," concluded Suleymanov.
On other issues, Suleymanov noted that Russia's ambassador to Tehran was summoned twice last year over Moscow’s stance on three disputed islands in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran controls but the UAE contests. Joint declarations signed by Russia and the UAE have alarmed Tehran.
Economically, there has been no significant surge in trade between Russia and Iran over the past two and a half years, with trade volume even dropping 20% in 2023. Collaboration remains in specific sectors, particularly military-technical fields. "Russia highly relies on Iranian drones, with no alternatives. Additionally, an Iranian-participated drone manufacturing plant is under construction in Tatarstan. While there are specific areas of cooperation, it doesn’t extend beyond that," Suleymanov explained.