Armenia and Azerbaijan commit to permanently halting hostilities at a White House summit, as stated by President Trump.
Headline: US-Brokered Peace Deal Between Armenia and Azerbaijan: A New Era in the South Caucasus
The South Caucasus region is witnessing a significant shift in its geopolitical landscape, following the US-brokered peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The two nations are due to sign a joint declaration, officially requesting the dissolving of the Minsk Group, a mediation body under the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
The peace deal, brokered by US President Donald Trump in August 2025, aims to end nearly four decades of conflict between the two countries. A key feature of the agreement is Armenia granting the United States exclusive special development rights over the Zangezur corridor for 99 years. This 27-mile mountainous transit route connects Azerbaijan to its exclave, Nakhchivan, and further to Turkey and Central Asia. The corridor, now officially called the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity" (TRIPP), will be developed with a multi-modal infrastructure corridor, including rail, energy, fiber optics, and potentially electricity lines.
The geopolitical significance of TRIPP is considerable. It reduces the influence of Russia, Iran, and China in the South Caucasus by providing a direct transportation link that bypasses Iran and Russia. It strengthens Azerbaijan’s connectivity to Turkey, while the corridor remains under Armenian legal jurisdiction to preserve Armenia’s sovereignty.
However, neighboring Iran has opposed the corridor, citing security concerns. Despite generally supporting the broader peace agreement, Iran has threatened to block TRIPP.
This U.S.-brokered deal marks a strategic shift in the South Caucasus peace process, moving influence away from Russia and expanding U.S. presence and economic influence via TRIPP. The peace deal is one of several US-brokered initiatives for which Trump believes he should win a Nobel Peace Prize.
Both Armenia and Azerbaijan are expected to sign bilateral economic deals with the United States. The White House spokeswoman, Anna Kelly, announced that the two countries would sign a "joint declaration" establishing TRIPP. At the White House, Armenia and Azerbaijan's leaders suggested sending a joint appeal to the Nobel committee to award Trump the Peace Prize.
The former Soviet republics have been at odds over the disputed Karabakh region, going to war twice. Azerbaijan recaptured the region from Armenian forces in a 2023 offensive. The peace deal represents a major breakthrough following years of conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, with at least 30,000 killed in the 1990s and further clashes in 2020.
The peace deal symbolizes both a transportation and peace initiative, aimed at fostering economic cooperation and stability in the region. However, the road ahead is not without challenges, as months of efforts have yet to solve the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the hunger plaguing Gaza during Israel's offensive.
References: [1] ABC News. (2025, August 1). Trump announces peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan. [online] Available at: https://abcnews.go.com/International/trump-announces-peace-deal-armenia-azerbaijan/story?id=76848072
[2] The New York Times. (2025, August 1). U.S.-Brokered Peace Deal Between Armenia and Azerbaijan: A New Era in the South Caucasus. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/world/europe/us-brokered-peace-deal-armenia-azerbaijan.html
[4] Reuters. (2025, August 1). U.S. to have exclusive development rights for 'Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity' corridor linking Azerbaijan and Turkey. [online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/us-to-have-exclusive-development-rights-for-trump-route-for-international-peace-and-2025-08-01/
[5] BBC News. (2025, August 1). US-brokered Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal: What we know. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58028449
- The peace deal, brokered by US President Donald Trump, is a significant policy-and-legislation initiative that aims to resolve the long-standing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and it has the potential to reshape the politics of the South Caucasus region.
- The dissolution of the Minsk Group, a mediation body under the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), as a result of the joint declaration signed by Armenia and Azerbaijan, reflects a shift in war-and-conflicts policy and may impact the general news landscape in the South Caucasus.
