Iran has expressed strong opposition to a new strategic transit corridor planned through southern Armenia, a key component of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump. Tehran views the corridor, officially named the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity" (TRIPP), with deep suspicion, asserting it poses a threat to regional security and could alter the geopolitical landscape.
On August 9, 2025, Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, issued a stern warning, stating that Iran is prepared to prevent such geopolitical shifts. He declared that the corridor would not serve as a U.S.-controlled passage but rather as a "graveyard for Trump's mercenaries." Velayati's remarks followed Iran's initial welcome of the broader peace agreement, contingent on no foreign intervention that could jeopardize regional stability.
The TRIPP corridor is designed to link Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhchivan, traversing a stretch of southern Armenian territory. This route is intended to bypass Iran and Russia, facilitating trade and energy exports, and is seen by the U.S. as a means to reduce the influence of these nations in the South Caucasus. The agreement, signed on August 8, 2025, in Washington D.C., aims to resolve the long-standing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and includes provisions for border delimitation and security cooperation.
Azerbaijan, through its ambassador to Britain, Elin Suleymanov, expressed optimism about the potential for lasting peace and regional prosperity. Conversely, Russia has indicated a preference for regional solutions, expressing skepticism towards Western mediation efforts. Turkey, however, has welcomed the corridor.
Iran's concerns are rooted in the potential for the corridor to fragment Armenia and restrict Iran's own regional access. Historically, Iran has opposed the Zangezur corridor, as it is also known, fearing it would isolate the country from Armenia and the broader Caucasus region, while also introducing a foreign presence near its borders. To underscore its resolve, Iran has previously conducted military drills in its northwestern frontier region.
The U.S. secured exclusive development rights for the corridor for 99 years, with plans for a consortium to develop rail lines, oil and gas pipelines, and fiber optic infrastructure. The initiative is part of a broader U.S. strategy to increase its influence in the South Caucasus, a region historically dominated by Russia. The decline of Russian influence, particularly following its invasion of Ukraine, has created an opening for other global powers.
While Iran's foreign ministry welcomed the peace agreement as a step towards stability, it cautioned against foreign interference near its borders, emphasizing that any projects should respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Iran has reiterated its readiness for constructive cooperation with Armenia and Azerbaijan through regional frameworks like the 3+3 mechanism, which includes Iran, Russia, and Turkey alongside the involved Caucasus nations.