Iran says Trump’s “plan” for the Caucasus is equivalent to the Zangezur Corridor

Ali Akbar Velayati, adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader on international affairs, stated that the so-called “Trump plan” for the South Caucasus is essentially no different from the Zangezur Corridor project, which Iran has consistently rejected. He made the remarks during a meeting in Tehran with Armenia’s ambassador to Iran, Grigor Hakobyan, where regional and international issues were discussed with a focus on the South Caucasus.

According to Velayati, the difference between the two initiatives is purely formal and limited only to their names. He noted that the project was previously promoted directly under the concept of the Zangezur Corridor, and is now, in his assessment, being advanced through the involvement of American companies in Armenia. The adviser emphasized that the substance of the initiative remains unchanged.

Velayati stated that under the discussed project, the United States could receive exclusive rights for a period of 99 years to develop a 43-kilometer transport route. He said that such an approach would effectively mean placing a strategically important corridor under external control, which, in his words, runs counter to regional security interests.

The adviser to the Supreme Leader stressed that the Islamic Republic of Iran is categorically opposed to the implementation of such a plan. He recalled that Tehran has opposed the idea of the Zangezur Corridor from the very beginning and consistently rejects any projects that could lead to changes in existing regional borders. According to him, Iran’s position remains unchanged regardless of the format or name of the initiative.

Velayati also warned of possible security consequences if the project is implemented. He said that the creation of such a corridor would, in his assessment, open the way for the expansion of NATO’s presence north of Iran. This, he noted, could pose serious threats not only to Iran’s northern regions but also to southern areas of Russia, altering the balance of power in the region.

The adviser emphasized that the South Caucasus is an area of complex historical, political, and ethnic processes and cannot be treated as a space for external redistribution of influence. He stated that the proposed project, in his view, is aimed at changing Armenia’s territorial integrity and creates risks of further destabilization.

Velayati recalled that he had previously expressed a similar position, stressing the inadmissibility of any initiatives that could lead to a redistribution of regional borders and an increase in external military presence. According to him, Iran views the preservation of the existing balance in the South Caucasus as one of the key factors of its national security.