US-brokered Armenia-Azerbaijan peace plan includes strategic transportation route development and boosted American relations, according to the White House.
The United States brokered a historic peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan in August 2025, marking the end of decades of tension and conflict. The agreement, known as the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity" (TRIPP), was signed at the White House in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
The TRIPP agreement establishes a 27-mile (43 km) corridor through Armenia's Zangezur region, under Armenian sovereignty and law, with exclusive 99-year special development rights awarded to the U.S. The U.S. plans to sublease these rights to a consortium that will develop vital infrastructure, including railways, oil and gas pipelines, fiber optics, and potentially electricity transmission along this corridor.
The geopolitical purpose of the corridor is to provide a direct transit route connecting Azerbaijan with its exclave Nakhchivan and Turkey to Central Asia, bypassing Iran and Russia. This aims to reduce the influence of Iran, Russia, and China in the South Caucasus, facilitating regional peace and economic development while bolstering Azerbaijan-Turkey ties.
The corridor agreement is part of the broader 2025 Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal, which also establishes full diplomatic relations and respect for sovereignty. The agreement also leads to the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group mediation efforts after decades of conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Nine potential operators, including three American firms, have expressed interest in negotiating the operation of the TRIPP corridor. Negotiations over the route's operator are expected to begin next week.
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Pashinyan and Aliyev, will sign separate bilateral agreements with the United States after the peace deal. The peace "roadmap" is aimed at establishing a long-sought transit route and strengthening ties with Washington.
The "Trump Route" replaces previous plans involving the Zangezur Corridor. The summit follows decades of tension and conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including a war in 2023. Iran has expressed security concerns and threatened to block the corridor despite supporting the broader peace agreement.
The "Trump Route" is a multimodal transit area connecting mainland Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, while respecting Armenia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and its people. A centerpiece of the agreement is a proposed transit corridor named the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity." The leaders are expected to sign a peace "roadmap" on Friday. Working groups will be established after the deal is signed to finalize the details of the roadmap over the coming months.
The U.S. President Donald Trump is hosting a "Historic Peace Summit" at the White House, marking a significant step towards regional peace and economic development in the South Caucasus. The TRIPP agreement is expected to unlock the great potential of the region in trade, transit, and energy, benefiting American businesses and strengthening U.S.-Armenia and U.S.-Azerbaijan relations.
- Following the peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan brokered by the United States in 2025, Turkey's involvement in regional politics is anticipated, as the TRIPP corridor aims to connect Azerbaijan directly with Turkey, bypassing Russia and Iran.
- In the realm of policy-and-legislation, the TRIPP agreement grants the United States exclusive 99-year special development rights over a corridor through Armenia's Zangezur region, making it a critical part of the general-news landscape.
- The ongoing war-and-conflicts between Turkey and Russia might find a new focus, as the TRIPP corridor, while supporting regional peace and economic development, also aims to reduce the influence of Russia in the South Caucasus.
