International resonance around arms deliveries to Armenia Euronews citing Caliber.Az

Euronews Persian Service has published an article titled "Iranian and American weapons in Armenia: What straw is Yerevan grasping at after Moscow?" based on information from Caliber.Az about recent arms supplies to Armenia from France and the US, as well as Iran's role in this process.

We present to Caliber.Az readers the translation of this article with minor edits:

In recent weeks, Azerbaijani media have reported on American arms deliveries to Armenia. There have also been reports of an agreement on arms supplies and military training between Yerevan and Tehran. Is this small Caucasian country, having turned away from Moscow, now seeking other military allies?

Armenia’s approach to selecting allies and military partners has gradually shifted in recent years, following two military defeats by its long-time rival, Azerbaijan. This republic, formerly part of the Soviet Union, had traditionally relied on Russia. However, after Azerbaijan's rapid advance into “Nagorno-Karabakh” (quotation marks - ed.) in September of the previous year and the incorporation of the region into its territory, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan cited the inaction of Russian peacekeeping forces stationed in the region as the reason for his country’s military failures and turned away from Russia.

Since 2020, Armenia has nearly doubled its military budget. In 2020, the country’s defence spending amounted to $785 million. This budget reached $1.3 billion in 2023 and is set to total $1.4 billion in 2024.

According to published data, the main suppliers of weapons and military equipment to Armenia have been Russia, France, and India. In recent years, following the start of the war in Ukraine, Armenian officials have repeatedly stated that Russia has been delaying arms deliveries despite the funds received.

What role does Iran play?

Azerbaijani news portal Caliber.Az, in a publication on Wednesday, August 21, citing "diplomatic and military sources," reported that France had sent Armenia 155mm self-propelled artillery systems "Caesar," several anti-tank missile systems, and "air-to-air" missiles via Iran. It is reported that this weaponry was transported from Orly Airport in Paris to Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, and from there by Meraj Airlines to Armenia.

This publication emerged against the backdrop of previous information indicating that France had previously supplied arms to Armenia through Georgia. However, the article does not specify why France decided to use Iran for arms deliveries to Armenia, despite existing regional tensions.

In another section of the August 21 publication, Caliber.Az claims that India is also using Iran to send arms to Armenia. It is reported that India sends weaponry and military equipment to the port of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran, from where it is then transported to Armenia.

The site also asserts that some military supplies from France and India to Armenia are officially declared, while other shipments are delivered under the guise of "civilian" goods to mislead Azerbaijan about Armenia's actual military capabilities.

On July 24, Iran International reported exclusively, citing a "high-ranking military official in the Middle East," that Tehran and Yerevan have signed a military agreement worth $500 million, which constitutes over a third of Armenia’s military budget for 2024. According to this report, the agreement includes several contracts signed in recent months.

The same source claims that, under this agreement, the Islamic Republic of Iran will transfer to Armenia Shahed 136, 129, and 197 drones, Mohajer drones, as well as air defence systems such as "Som-Khordad," "Majid," "15 Khordad," and "Arman." The agreement also includes training for Armenian military personnel.

The Armenian Ministry of Defense dismissed this report as "fabricated and false," and Mehdi Sobhani, the Iranian ambassador to Armenia, also denied the report, calling it "false information from unreliable sources."

Are the US supplying arms to Armenia?

On August 6, Caliber.Az reported that two American military planes, flying from bases in Romania and the Middle East, landed at Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan on August 2 and 3.

The site also claims that these two Boeing C-17 planes, belonging to the US Armed Forces, delivered military personnel and military cargo to Armenia. Earlier, Caliber.Az asserted that on April 5, Nikol Pashinyan signed a military agreement with the US in Brussels. The site notes that the latest deliveries were made under this agreement and included sniper rifles, night vision devices, specialized communication equipment, bulletproof vests, small strike drones, and mines.

The site added that the US had previously trained Armenian special forces to use these systems.

Mark Libby, the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, called these reports "nonsense" and completely denied them in an interview with ITV. A statement from the US Embassy in Armenia also stated that this publication was "fabricated." Libby added, "Unfortunately, some people are trying to sow discord and create problems in the relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Caliber.Az is one such source. I categorically deny their information."

In response to Libby’s statements, Caliber.Az published photos, which it claims prove the presence of American military planes at Yerevan’s airport. It’s worth noting that earlier in July, Armenia and the US conducted joint military exercises, involving Armenian peacekeeping forces, US armed forces, and the Kansas National Guard.

What does Iran gain?

Caliber.Az claims that the Islamic Republic of Iran is delaying the delivery of Indian and French weapons to Armenia under the pretext of a "customs inspection." The site also reports that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is using this time for "military espionage," studying the advanced technologies of the delivered weapons to develop more modern weapons systems based on the information obtained.

Caliber.Az also notes that Iran once completely disassembled a "Caesar" system, after which the French embassy in Iran issued a warning. However, according to the site, the Islamic Republic ignored this warning.