A peace agreement, mediated by the United States, is put into force between Armenia and Azerbaijan, marking a historic moment in their relations.
In a significant diplomatic move, a peace deal was signed on August 8, 2025, at the White House by Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, and US President Donald Trump. This agreement aims to end almost four decades of tensions and conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over control of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The historic peace deal has established a strategic trade and transit corridor, named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP). This 43-kilometre (27 miles) strip connecting Azerbaijan with its exclave Nakhchivan, bypassing a 32-kilometer-wide (20-mile-wide) strip of Armenian territory, provides Azerbaijan a direct transit route to Nakhchivan and further to Turkey and Central Asia without routing through Iran or Russia.
Armenia has granted exclusive special development rights of the corridor land to the US for 99 years. The US will sublease the land to a consortium tasked with developing rail, oil, gas, fiber optic lines, and potentially electricity transmission infrastructure. To respect Armenian sovereignty, the corridor will be governed under Armenian law, ensuring Armenian control despite the transit purpose.
The corridor aims to diminish the influence of Iran, Russia, and China in the South Caucasus by enabling trade and travel independent of these powers. This shift in regional power dynamics bolsters US presence and reduces Russia’s historical dominance.
The agreement has received positive responses from Turkey, European countries, Russia, and Georgia, viewing it as a potential new framework for regional stability. However, Iran has expressed strong opposition, threatening to block the corridor citing security concerns.
In a related development, the US president announced that he is lifting restrictions on US military cooperation with Azerbaijan. Trump has expressed his belief that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his diplomatic efforts, a sentiment shared by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and both leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Armenia's Pashinyan called the deal a success and a chapter of peace, commending Trump for his role as a peacemaker. Azerbaijani President Aliyev stated that the deal represents a new history and thanked Trump for bringing peace to the Caucasus region.
However, the details of the agreement regarding the transit corridor have not yet been disclosed. Analysts caution that lasting peace depends on resolving remaining border incidents and ethnic tensions. Despite this, the peace deal marks a potential turning point in the long-standing conflict and a significant geopolitical shift in the South Caucasus.
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