DUBAI/MOSCOW: Iran threatened to block a corridor planned in the Caucasus under a regional deal sponsored by U.S. President Donald Trump, Iranian media reported, raising a new question mark over a peace plan hailed as a strategically important shift.
A top Azerbaijani diplomat said earlier that the plan, announced by Trump on Friday, was just one step from a final peace deal between his country and Armenia, which reiterated its support for the plan.
The proposed Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) would run across southern Armenia, giving Azerbaijan a direct route to its exclave of Nakhchivan and in turn to Turkey.
The U.S. would have exclusive development rights to the corridor, which the White House said would facilitate greater exports of energy and other resources.
It was not immediately clear how Iran, which borders the area, would block it but the statement from Ali Akbar Velayati, top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, raised questions over its security.
He said military exercises carried out in northwest Iran demonstrated the Islamic Republic’s readiness and determination to prevent any geopolitical changes.
“This corridor will not become a passage owned by Trump, but rather a graveyard for Trump’s mercenaries,” Velayati said.
Iran’s foreign ministry earlier welcomed the agreement “as an important step toward lasting regional peace”, but warned against any foreign intervention near its borders that could “undermine the region’s security and lasting stability”.
TRIPP would run through southern Armenia, linking Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave and onward to Turkey. The United States would hold exclusive development rights to the corridor, intended to boost trade, energy exports, and regional connectivity.
The initiative is part of a broader effort to end decades of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Tensions date back to the late 1980s over Nagorno-Karabakh, which Azerbaijan retook in 2023. A final peace deal is close but depends on Armenia amending its constitution to remove territorial claims over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Tehran initially welcomed the agreement as a step toward peace, but now threatens to block the corridor. Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, warned that Iran would resist “geopolitical changes” near its borders, citing recent military exercises in northwest Iran as a show of readiness. However, analysts say Iran likely lacks the capacity to physically obstruct the project.
While expressing support for the peace summit, Russia favors solutions developed by regional states — involving Russia, Iran, and Turkey — over Western-led efforts, referencing the “sad experience” of Western mediation in the Middle East.
Key details remain unresolved, including customs procedures, security arrangements, and Armenia’s reciprocal access to Azerbaijani territory. The Armenian constitutional change is pending, with no referendum date set.–Reuters
