Iran’s national security chief disagrees with any "change in geopolitics” of Caucasus region

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Akbar Ahmadian has said that the Islamic Republic strongly opposes any scheme that would "change the geopolitics of the region".

In a meeting with Khalaf Khalafov, special representative of Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on special assignments, held in Tehran on October 4, Ahmadian reiterated Iran's opposition to any plan that could alter the region's geopolitics, particularly with regard to the Zangezur corridor, IRNA reported.

“Any action that would lead to geopolitical changes in the region, similar to what others propose with respect to the Zangezur corridor, will not only not help the countries of the region, but will also create grounds for intervention by extra-regional forces," he stated.

Iran opposes Azerbaijan’s plans to launch the Zangazur corridor, a transport link between mainland Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave via southern Armenia, on concerns that the corridor will sever its 40-km land border with Armenia.

The establishment of the corridor was agreed upon as part of the tripartite statement that ended the 2020 war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Yerevan committed to ensuring the safety of transport links between the western regions of Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan to facilitate unrestricted movement of citizens, vehicles, and goods in both directions.

During the meeting, Ahmadian also stressed Iran’s policy that Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan’s territory, and added that the Islamic Republic is ready to help bring regional countries together to establish lasting peace.

In his turn, Khalafov highlighted Azerbaijan's policy of maintaining peace and stability in the region and resolving disputes through regional frameworks.

The two sides also called for the expansion of ties between Iran and Azerbaijan in all areas.

The Azerbaijani military conducted the 24-hour anti-terror operation, on September 19-20, to neutralize illegal formations of the Armenian army in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. The operation disabled almost the entire separatists military infrastructure, leaving them no choice but to surrender.

The capitulation of the illegal Armenian armed formations in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan came on September 20 after they retreated agreeing to complete disarmament.