Armenia and Azerbaijan have reached an agreement, but Iran strongly opposes the proposed "Trump road" project.
The "Trump Road for International Peace and Prosperity" (TRIPP) is a transit corridor agreement brokered by former President Donald Trump between Armenia and Azerbaijan, aiming to foster peace and economic integration in the South Caucasus. Signed on August 8, 2025, the agreement grants the United States a 99-year mandate to oversee the creation and management of a transit corridor through Armenia’s southern Syunik province.
The corridor, which builds on Azerbaijan’s previously proposed Zangezur Corridor concept, connects Turkey in the west to the Caspian Sea in the east, providing a shorter route than the traditional passage through Georgia. This corridor, if implemented, would link mainland Azerbaijan to its exclave Nakhchivan by crossing Armenian territory, with Armenia subleasing this land to a U.S.-led consortium responsible for construction and operation.
The key elements of the joint declaration signed by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev include mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and provisions for unimpeded road, rail, and possibly oil and gas pipeline connectivity across Syunik.
The corridor crosses Armenia’s Syunik province near Iran’s northwestern border, altering regional transit dynamics by providing Azerbaijan and Turkey a direct, U.S.-overseen route that bypasses traditional Georgian transit routes. This new route may diminish Iran’s regional transit ambitions and influence, as transport and energy flows may increasingly favor the U.S.-backed corridor over other routes passing near or through Iran.
The TRIPP corridor could enhance the South Caucasus's strategic importance by linking Turkey and Azerbaijan directly to Central Asia and beyond, potentially reshaping trade, energy, and geopolitical alliances in the region with strong U.S. involvement. Russia, which traditionally regarded the South Caucasus as its sphere of influence, is reportedly confounded by this arrangement, signaling shifting power dynamics as the U.S. asserts a direct foothold with the 99-year management mandate of the corridor on Armenian soil.
However, the announced corridor is a point of contention, with Iran expressing vehement resistance to its creation. Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, made the announcement of Iran's resistance on Saturday. Velayati emphasized that the corridor is an "impossible idea." Iran will not allow the creation of the corridor between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh, as it shares borders with both Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The corridor, if implemented, would grant exclusive rights to the USA, a fact that may further fuel Iran's resistance. The exact contents of the peace declaration between Armenia and Azerbaijan were not initially known, but the announced corridor would bear the name "Trump Road for International Peace and Prosperity." The relationship between Tehran and Baku is tense, while Iran and Armenia maintain traditionally good relations.
This development represents a landmark for peace and economic connectivity in the South Caucasus, embedding the U.S. strategically in a key transit route with substantial geopolitical implications for Iran and regional power balances. As the region witnesses a shift in power dynamics, it remains to be seen how Iran will respond to the TRIPP corridor and the growing U.S. influence in the South Caucasus.
- The announcement of the TRIPP corridor, named after former President Donald Trump, has sparked debates in policy-and-legislation circles, as it may alter the current regional politics in the South Caucasus.
- The implementation of the TRIPP corridor, overseen by the United States, could potentially reshape employment policies in the South Caucasus, as it may attract investment and foster economic integration.
