President Tehran – Masoud Pezeshkian emphasizes that Iran and Armenia should not allow foreign forces to undermine friendly and strategic ties, urging close cooperation in both political and economic fields.
The Iranian president made his remarks on Saturday at a meeting in Tehran with Armenian National Security Council chief Amen Grigoryan.
Pezeshkian has expressed concern over the recent US-brokered peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This is a plan for a transport corridor across Armenia’s southern Sinik province, which links Azerbaijan with the exception of Naktiban. Iran has long been opposed to the project, warning that it could change the geopolitical balance in the South Caucasus and limit access to Tehran’s regional transport routes.
However, the president said some of Tehran’s concerns were eased after guarantees provided by Armenian officials. He recalled his “fruitful” visit to Yerevan in August, where both sides reached a “positive agreement” and welcomed progress in the implementation of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSC).
INSTC is a 7,200-kilometer multimodal network that connects Iran with Central Asia, India, Russia and Europe. Pezeshkian emphasized that once completed, the project not only strengthens regional trade, but also promotes greater political and economic convergence within the Eurasian Economic Union.
He also called for a deeper trade and investment relationship with Yerevan to expand economic exchanges on both sides.
Grigorian welcomed Peshshkian’s visit to Armenia as a turning point in relations and repeated his own country’s preparations to sign a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Iran. He also hoped that the participation of Iranian companies will lead to Armenia’s infrastructure and development projects, and emphasized that Armenia is ready to increase its trade volume several times to Tehran.
Iran opposes geopolitical change in the Caucasus: top security chief
Earlier that day, Grigorian held a meeting with Ali Larijani, Iran’s highest security council. Instead, Larijani welcomed Armenia’s inclusion in the INSTC, which links Iran’s northern neighbors to the Oman Sea.
“Iran has always supported the independence and resilience of the regional countries as the basis for lasting security,” Larijani said, expressing support for the ongoing peace negotiations between Yerevan and Baku.
Grigorian highlighted Armenia’s commitment to national sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of borders and reciprocity in international relations. He assured Tehran that the agreement with Azerbaijan preserved sovereignty over issues of Armenia’s security, military and customs, and pledged that its relations with Iran would not be affected.
Our existence threats to the stability of the Caucasus: Iran’s military chief
Meanwhile, Iranian military chief Major General Abdulrahim Musabi also met with Armenian officials.
Speaking in Tehran, Musabi said Iran welcomed peace initiatives between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but emphasized that foreign interventions would only complicate regional conflicts.
“The peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan can bring lasting peace and security to the region, and the Islamic Republic of Iran has always supported such a process,” Musabi said. “However, the presence of foreign forces, including the United States, is a serious issue of concern for the Caucasus.”
The Commander-in-Chief emphasized that “historical reality confirms the negative role the United States plays in this region,” prompting the creation of effective mechanisms to prevent tensions from escalating under the influence of external forces.
Mousavi’s statement reflects Iran’s longstanding position that local issues should be resolved by the local states themselves, without the involvement of external parties. Tehran has repeatedly warned that US-NATO-backed initiatives could undermine the sovereignty of the South Caucasus, fuel divisions, defeat fuel divisions, and change the delicate geopolitical balance.
Grigorian mentioned Armenia’s August 8 agreement with Azerbaijan under the “Cross of Peace” initiative. He emphasized the importance of protecting Armenian sovereignty over corridors of sensitive lands adjacent to Iran, ensuring that Yerevan wanted to prevent any adverse effects on his relations with Tehran.