Russia remains cautious about the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal, while Iran vehemently opposes the proposed border corridor.
In August 2025, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a historic peace deal in Washington, ending a decades-long conflict. Part of this agreement involves the creation of a transit corridor, often referred to as the "Trump corridor" or the Zangezur Corridor, which aims to connect Azerbaijan to its exclave Nakhchivan via a stretch of Armenian territory.
The corridor is intended to enhance regional trade and transport, providing Azerbaijan with special transit access across Armenia for up to 99 years, with operational involvement by the United States. The agreement reflects growing US influence in the South Caucasus and is seen as a strategic infrastructure project promoting peace and prosperity, according to the US side.
However, the corridor has caused tensions regionally, particularly regarding Russia's and Iran's positions.
Russia, a traditional regional power and Armenia’s strategic ally, has expressed conditional support. Moscow backs Armenia’s sovereign decision on the corridor and supports peace initiatives in the South Caucasus but remains cautious about its broader geopolitical implications. Russia also faces challenges managing its influence, given Armenia's EU overtures and US involvement in the corridor.
Iran, sharing borders with both Armenia and Azerbaijan, supports peace but strongly opposes foreign interference in regional affairs. Tehran worries that the corridor, facilitating direct Azerbaijan-Turkey-Europe connections under US facilitation, could sideline its influence and threaten its borders. Iran has warned that it might block the corridor due to concerns about increased US presence and shifting power dynamics in the South Caucasus.
The corridor marks a delicate shift in regional relationships. It strengthens Azerbaijan’s trade and transit position, boosts US strategic engagement, and creates strains with Russia and Iran, who both see the corridor as a potential challenge to their traditional influence and security interests in the South Caucasus.
The International Crisis Group has pointed out that the deal leaves "a lot of questions unanswered," and analysts warn that the corridor could be a "serious stumbling block" due to missing key details. As the region navigates this new reality, it remains to be seen how these complex dynamics will unfold.
[1] CNN, "US-Mediated Peace Deal Signed Between Armenia and Azerbaijan," August 2025. [2] Reuters, "US-Brokered Transit Corridor Between Armenia and Azerbaijan: A New Era of Regional Trade?" August 2025. [3] BBC News, "Armenia's Drift Towards the West: The Impact on Russia," September 2025. [4] Al Jazeera, "Iran Opposes US-Brokered Transit Corridor Between Armenia and Azerbaijan," October 2025. [5] Financial Times, "Azerbaijan-Turkey-Europe Connections: The Implications of the US-Brokered Transit Corridor," November 2025.
- The historical peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, brokered by the US in 2025, has initiated a new era in the South Caucasus, with its provision for the Zangezur Corridor serving as a strategic infrastructure project that significantly influences politics, policy-and-legislation, and general news, as regional powers like Russia and Iran express concerns about their traditional influence and security interests being compromised.
- As the US continues to expand its influence in war-and-conflicts resolution and regional trade, the US-brokered transit corridor between Armenia and Azerbaijan has stirred controversy, driving regional tensions and sparking debates in the realm of politics and policy-and-legislation, ultimately positioned as a "serious stumbling block" due to missing key details, as noted by the International Crisis Group.
