Washington, Tehran on same wavelength regarding Zangazur Corridor issue

By Fatima Latifova

Yesterday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, emphasising the importance of achieving lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and stating that the United States will continue its efforts to reach this goal. Although the telephone call of the secretary of state to the Azerbaijani President reflects Washington's interest in signing a peace agreement between Baku and Yerevan as soon as possible, in fact, it is clear that behind it there is concern about the presence of Russia.

In recent years, attempts to push Russia out of the Caucasus have not yielded the desired results. President Vladimir Putin's visit to Azerbaijan in August and Moscow’s increased focus on the Zangazur Corridor have prompted the US to boost its influence in the region.

Undoubtedly, Blinken plans to organise another meeting between the parties to prevent Russia from regaining its role between Azerbaijan and Armenia. This meeting is expected to take place in the coming days during the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, which has already begun in New York, with a meeting likely between the foreign ministers of both countries.

Why is Washington concerned?

Last month, Russian President Putin’s visit to Azerbaijan, followed by a phone conversation with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, challenged the perceptions that had formed about Russia in recent years. After stepping away from mediating talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia for a while, Russia has returned to the region as an ideal mediator for both countries.

The primary issue causing concern for Washington is Moscow’s growing interest in the Zangazur Corridor following Putin’s visit to Azerbaijan. Russia clearly supports the opening of the Zangeazur Corridor and is working to gain control over it. The USA, on the other hand, does not want the transportation route to fall under Russian control. This is why all efforts are currently focused on mediating between Azerbaijan and Armenia and ensuring that a peace agreement is signed quickly.

This is also why USAID has been attempting to sway Armenia with financial aid and present the USA as a friend. However, if Washington wants a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia to be signed soon, it must first convince Yerevan to make the necessary changes to its Constitution. Nevertheless, the USA knows well that unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan cannot be bought.

Washington's concern about Russia's growing interest in the Zangazur Corridor is understandable. This corridor, which runs through the Zangazur region—historically the Azerbaijani territory—is of strategic importance as it connects Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan and potentially establishes broader links with Turkiye. Moscow recognizes the significance of this corridor for regional transportation and economic relations and seeks to assert control over it.

While the US views the opening of the Zangazur Corridor as positive for regional transportation and trade, it does not want Russia to dominate it. Notably, Iran’s stance on this issue is similar to that of the US.

Tehran has taken several diplomatic steps to communicate its firm opposition to this project to Moscow.

It is important to recall that on September 2, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador Alexey Dedov. Following the meeting, the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that Iranian official Mojtaba Demirchilou emphasised Tehran’s vehement protest to any changes in internationally recognised borders or geopolitical shifts in the region. Media outlets like Britain's "The Guardian" and Iran’s "Tasnim" news agency framed this meeting as confirmation of the cooling relations between Moscow and Tehran regarding the Zangazur Corridor.

Thus, it becomes clear that on the issue of the Zangazur Corridor, the US and Iran share a common perspective. In other words, it is clear from the issue that the red line for Tehran is not only the threat of the West and NATO, but also the expanding shadow of Moscow over the Zangazur Corridor.

If it were not so, Tehran would not have been indifferent to the holding of NATO exercises in Yerevan, nor would it have coldly accepted the increasing military contingent of the West in the South Caucasus. But when it comes to the issue of Zangazur, Tehran is gripped by chronic pains...

Ongoing negotiations and existing processes are already moving rapidly towards the realisation of the corridor. This is accepted by both the United States and Iran, even if it doesn't want to. However, the interests of Tehran and Washington regarding Russia are aligned once again in the Zangazur Corridor.