While Iran is embroiled in a war with Israel, Turkey was playing new tricks behind its back. But Tehran turned the tables in time. Iran has effectively halted Azerbaijan and Turkey's 'Zangezur Corridor' proposal, according to Ali Akbar Velayati, a vital counsellor to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
This is the same corridor that would have connected Azerbaijan to Turkey via Armenia's Syunik province and cut off Iran's strategic access. Velayati called this plan a geopolitical conspiracy under the guise of a transport project. According to him, this plan was not only an attempt to cut off Iran from Europe but was also part of the Western effort to surround Russia from the southern front.
How was the corridor's path cut?
Velayati said Tehran understood this ploy in time and blocked the project through active diplomatic efforts. He also targeted the US without naming it and claimed that even former President Joe Biden was aware of the preparation of this corridor, although there is no public record of this.
Dispute arising from the 2020 war
The agreement brokered by Russia after the Nagorno-Karabakh war had Article 9 about opening transport routes. Azerbaijan saw it as the Zangezur corridor, a direct route from Nakhchivan to the Azerbaijani mainland. But Armenia says that this is only the restoration of traditional routes, and its sovereignty will remain on all routes.
Turkey's dream shattered
Turkey was very excited about this corridor. President Recep Tayyip Erdoan said in a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in 2023 that if Armenia obstructs, alternative routes will be explored through Iran. Earlier, the two countries also signed the Shusha Declaration in 2021, in which this corridor was described as a strategic hub.
Iran's response: Energy diplomacy
Despite saying no in the corridor, Iran has further strengthened its relations with Armenia. The construction of the third high-voltage transmission line between the two countries is 80% complete. By 2026, it should be operational. This will increase the electricity trade between the two countries from 350 MW to 1200 MW, and the 'Gas for Power' agreement will also become more effective.
