The Zangezur Corridor triggers a geopolitical row between Iran and Russia

Russia’s relationship with Iran appears to be back on track after a row over the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process threatened to cause a rift in the budding strategic partnership. The Kremlin, given its challenges in maintaining its war economy, appears to have acceded to Iranian wishes to keep the controversial Zangezur Corridor off the regional geopolitical agenda.

A September 17 visit to Tehran by the secretary of the Russian Security Council, Sergei Shoigu, who until the beginning of this year held the position of defense minister, seems to have softened the relationship.

Iran has quickly become a vital partner for Russia, helping the Kremlin avoid Western sanctions to maintain Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. Recently there have been reports, strongly denied by Iran, that Tehran has supplied Russia with ballistic missiles.

Bilateral relations clashed in early September over differences over the Zangezur Corridor, a proposed land route that would link Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhchivan through Armenian territory. The Zangezur issue was a major sticking point in the negotiations for an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace deal, until the two sides decided to set the issue aside for resolution at a later date.

This decision angered Russia, which would gain a significant role as guarantor of security should the Zangezur corridor become a reality. Russia’s angry rhetoric, in turn, angered Iran, which opposes Zangezur because it would block a direct Iranian trade route with Armenia. In addition, the alternative trade route to Zangezur passes through Iranian territory, thereby potentially increasing Iranian influence over regional trade.

On September 5, Iran’s foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, reportedly referred to Russian-Iranian differences. ADVISED that “any threat to the territorial integrity of our neighbors or the redrawing of borders is totally unacceptable and a red line for Iran.”

Behind the scenes, Tehran allegedly threatened to degrade bilateral relations, as well as to stop negotiations for a strategic partnership agreement.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov appeared to backtrack on his initial accusations that Armenia would block the opening of the corridor by accepting to the agreement reached between Baku and Yerevan to remove the problem.

Afterwards, both sides engaged in damage control. While Iran’s Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Ahmadian, was in St. Petersburg at participate in a meeting of BRICS member states, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. A few days later, Shoigu unexpectedly appeared in Tehran, where he met with Ahmadian and delivered Putin’s personal message to the Iranian leadership. The message allegedly stated that “Russia’s position on regional cooperation with Iran has not changed.”

Russian state-controlled media did not provide many details about Shoigu’s talks in Tehran. But the TASS news agency noted that “special attention was paid to the position of the Islamic Republic on the issue of transport routes and corridors to/from Azerbaijan.”

Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, offered a more direct approach. “During the meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Shoigu reviewed the agreements reached between the two countries and reiterated his support for the policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran on transport corridors and routes with the Republic of Azerbaijan.”

By Eldar Mamedov via Eurasianet.org

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