Iran Rebukes Russia over Intrigues against Armenia (Azerbaijan and Zangezur corridor)
Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation needs to desist from forcing the weak hand of Armenia concerning the Zangezur corridor. Iran notified the Russian Federation that geopolitical changes in the Caucasus are not desired. Therefore, other nations – including America, France, and Greece – must step up in their support of this ancient Christian land against the threat of Pan-Turkism (Azerbaijan and Turkey) and the intrigues of the Russian Federation.
Iran is displeased that the Russian Federation and Turkey (NATO power) are supporting Azerbaijan in its demand to control the Zangezur transport corridor. This stretch of Armenian land splits the Nakhchivan Azerbaijan enclave (once Armenian Christian land until cleansed) from the rest of Azerbaijan.
If Azerbaijan, the Russian Federation, and Turkey usurped the Zangezur transport corridor from the control of Armenia, this would entail that Iran is conclusively cut off from its natural border with Armenia.
The director-general of the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Eurasia Department expressed his displeasure to the ambassador of the Russian Federation – who is based in Tehran.
The Iranian official said “any geopolitical changes in the Caucasus” aren’t welcome by Iran.
The director-general continued, “…respecting national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and mutual interests of countries is the guarantor of lasting peace and a foundation for regional cooperation in the Caucasus.”
Iran International reports, “Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently angered Iran by expressing his support for the establishment of the controversial Zangezur corridor during Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to Baku.”
The Supreme Leader of Iran (Ali Khamenei) told Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia that Iran seeks cordial ties with Armenia.
Khamenei said, “We are deeply committed to enhancing our relations with Armenia, and the collaboration between our two nations, founded on mutual interests and independent of policies of others, will continue with unwavering strength.”
Both nations allegedly signed a military deal for Iran to send military hardware to Armenia (roughly $500 million). Iran is known for drones – and this weakness of Armenia (and others) – was exploited by Azerbaijan (supplied by sophisticated military hardware from Israel and Turkey) when crushing the Christian Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Iran International reports, “After an apparent disappointment with its long-time ally, Russia, Armenia has been forging closer ties with the United States and France in recent months, including joint military drills with US forces in July.”
Maria Zakharova (the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson) said, “We have seen statements by Iranian officials expressing concern about the idea of opening the so-called ‘Zangezur corridor’ and explaining the reasons for this attitude.”
The Jamestown Foundation reports (Vali Kaleji), “Indeed, a significant number of Iranian elites and experts believe that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s emphasis on “uniting the geography of Turkic world” via the Zangezur Corridor and the expansion of Turkey’s presence in the South Caucasus will strengthen Pan-Turkism in the region, which could incite ethnic and separatist sentiments (Mediamax.am, November 12, 2021). In addition, considering the close relations between Azerbaijan and Israel, Tehran is worried that, if Baku does capture the southern part of Syunik Province, this will bolster Israel’s intelligence, espionage and security presence vis-à-vis Iran.”
Armenia still needs to seek cordial relations with the Russian Federation because of the geopolitical clout of this nation. However, given the current geopolitical weakness of Armenia – concerning the intrigues of Azerbaijan, the Russian Federation, and Turkey – it is essential that Armenia develops potent relations with America, France, Iran, Greece, and the European Union.
The Russian Federation might unleash future problems for itself if changes occur in the Caucasus region. This notably concerns pan-Turkism.
Modern Tokyo News is part of the Modern Tokyo Times group
http://moderntokyotimes.com Modern Tokyo Times – International News and Japan News
http://sawakoart.com – Sawako Utsumi and her website – Modern Tokyo Times artist
https://moderntokyonews.com Modern Tokyo News – Tokyo News and International News
PLEASE JOIN ON TWITTER
https://twitter.com/MTT_News Modern Tokyo Times
PLEASE JOIN ON FACEBOOK
http://facebook.com/moderntokyotimes