Iran warns South Caucasus peace deals must not alter region's geopolitics
Iran Press TV
Wednesday, 13 August 2025 5:26 PM
Iran's top diplomat has advocated for regional solutions to the South Caucasus crises, warning that any peace deal containing plans to reopen blocked routes in the region must not alter the region's geopolitics or disrupt other countries' lines of communication.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a Wednesday meeting in Tehran with Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan, underscored Iran's longstanding support for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and for reopening transport links with full respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"No plan for unblocking routes should lead to a change in the region's geopolitics or disrupt the communication routes of other countries in the region," he said.
The Iranian minister was referring to a recent US-brokered peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, under which a transport corridor linking Azerbaijan to its exclave Nakhchivan is to be established.
Araghchi emphasized the importance of all countries in the region jointly benefiting from the outcomes of any peace agreement.
He also highlighted the need for regional issues to be resolved by the countries of the region themselves, including within the framework of the 3+3 mechanism, a regional cooperation format involving the three Caucasus countries of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia, and their three neighbors of Iran, Russia, and Turkey.
On bilateral ties, Araghchi highlighted "very good relations and extensive cooperation" with Yerevan, saying that both governments are determined to further deepen ties "in line with the mutual interests of the two nations and sustainable peace and stability in the South Caucasus."
The Armenian minister described Yerevan-Tehran ties as "special and exceptional" for Armenia.
"Armenia considers its relations with Iran as strategic, and in making decisions regarding any agreement related to peace, security, and transportation routes in the Caucasus region, it pays serious attention to preserving stability in the region, the mutual interests of Iran and Armenia, and Iran's security and geopolitical concerns."
Araghchi on Wednesday also met Igor Khovaev, Russia's special envoy for the Caucasus, for consultations on the Armenia-Azerbaijan deal.
Citing the convergence of Tehran and Moscow's positions on key regional and international issues, the foreign minister called for continued and strengthened coordination "to safeguard common interests."
Reiterating Iran's "principled position" of supporting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, he urged full use of regional mechanisms such as the 3+3 to resolve disputes, expand cooperation and integration, and "guarantee the security, stability, and collective interests" of South Caucasus states, while ensuring any agreement respects the stability and security considerations of the region and its neighbors.
Khovaev likewise placed a premium on "close and continuous consultation, interaction, and coordination" between Iran and Russia.
'Role of foreign powers unacceptable'
Separately, Ali Akbar Velayati, senior advisor to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, held talks with the senior Armenian diplomat.
In the meeting, Velayati said that "the fate of the region must be determined solely by the countries of the region."
"Any action that harms our national security will receive an appropriate response," he said, referring to concerns that the US role in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal might threaten Iran's interests in the region.
He called the role of extra-regional powers unacceptable, arguing that the presence of those powers anywhere in the world leads to tension and instability.
Welcoming deeper bilateral cooperation, Velayati said Iran has "always sought lasting peace and security among its neighbors" and, more than any other country, emphasized calm between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
He noted Iran was the first country after the Soviet collapse to move to establish peace between the two, adding that during his tenure as foreign minister in the 1990s, he put all his efforts into this path.
Kostanyan underscored the importance of maintaining historic and good neighborly relations between the two countries, saying that Armenia is deeply committed to friendly relations with Iran and values these historic ties.
"We assure you that the bonds of friendship between Iran and Armenia will always remain strong. We will not allow any harm to come to these relations."
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