Tehran making another attempt to prevent opening of Zangazur corridor
Caliber.Az responds to Iranian ambassador's provocation

ANALYTICS  10 February 2023 - 13:47

Iran keeps on aggravating the situation in the region and impudently bluffs, having insufficient resources to confront its geopolitical rivals. Having failed to redeem itself in Azerbaijan's opinion for its past actions (for example, for support of the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, invasion into Azerbaijan during the 44-day war, terrorist act in the Azerbaijani Embassy in Tehran, etc.) the mullah regime has voiced new anti-Azerbaijani rhetoric. We are talking about the provocation of the Iranian ambassador to Armenia Abbas Badashkhan Zohouri at a conference on Armenian-Iranian relations held on February 9 in Yerevan.

Instead of discussing Iranian-Armenian relations, the Iranian ambassador, wishing to be an envoy of the major superpower, started threatening several countries, including Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Russia. Thus, according to Zohouri, "Iran and Armenia will not allow the creation of any corridor".

"Iran and Armenia have been and will be neighbours. Of course, one can notice some tricks, and talk about some so-called corridors. But Iran and Armenia will not allow the creation of such a corridor. At the same time, we must not wait until someone comes up with the idea of creating a corridor, for example, and then decide what position to take. We must not allow this to happen. The two countries must show initiative and figure out what new actions and steps to take," he said.

It is evident that the envoy of the clerical regime, without speaking openly, nevertheless meant exactly the Zangazur corridor - a transport communication that will restore the direct land communication between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, which was interrupted during the Armenian aggression and occupation of Azerbaijani territories. This point is clearly spelled out in paragraph 9 of the Tripartite Statement of the leaders of Azerbaijan, Russia, and Armenia on November 10, 2020. According to this point, "all economic and transport links in the region will be unblocked. The Republic of Armenia guarantees the security of transport links between the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in order to organise the unimpeded movement of citizens, vehicles, and goods in both directions. The control of transport communication is carried out by the bodies of the Border Service of the Federal Security Service of Russia. The construction of new transport communications linking the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic with the western regions of Azerbaijan will be ensured upon agreement between the Parties".

It says "agreed by the Parties", i.e. Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia. There is no sign of Iran here. No one asks its opinion, because no one is interested in it, except the revanchist Armenians. But with an unfailing stubbornness, it pokes its nose into other's affairs trying to prevent the resumption of transport communication between the two parts of Azerbaijan. This is not news to us. It is also nothing new that the pariah state took pains to see Azerbaijan liberate its lands from the Armenian occupation, and thus deprive Iranians of illegal sources of income at the expense of smuggling weapons and drugs. Iran had long ago and clearly indicated its intentions as far back as in the early 90s when it literally saved Armenia from collapse and thus prolonged its occupation of Azerbaijani territories for decades. After the 44-day war, Tehran cannot calm down and regularly holds military drills on the border with Azerbaijan, aimed to frighten Baku. However, retaliatory Azerbaijani-Turkish joint exercises quickly threw cold water on the clerical regime.

Tehran has regularly stated over the past two and a half years that "any change in historical borders, regional geopolitics and transit routes between Iran and Armenia" is unacceptable. Although Baku has repeatedly stated that they do not claim the territories of Armenia on the issue of the Zangazur corridor and that this transport artery is not directed against Iran, but on the contrary, will serve for the benefit of all countries in the region, nevertheless, the Iranian-Armenian tandem continues to oppose this project. Armenia is openly hoping, with Iran's help, to revise certain points of the Trilateral Statement, in particular regarding the unblocking of regional transport communications, thus renouncing its obligations to Baku and Moscow. However, this is playing with fire. As Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said very recently, "The Zangazur corridor will definitely be opened, whether Armenia wants it or not. We must and will have communication between the main part of Azerbaijan and its inalienable territory the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic".

That is, all attempts to block the opening of the Zangazur corridor are doomed to failure because too many countries - more powerful and authoritative than Iran and Armenia - are interested in this transport route. This includes Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Russia, Europe, and Central Asia. Everyone is serious, and no one is going to cater to Iran's geopolitical desires and Yerevan's stupidity.

Caliber.Az