TEHRAN – Iran has welcomed the recent peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan as an “important step toward regional stability,” while simultaneously expressing concern over the “negative consequences” of foreign meddling in the Caucasus region.
In a statement released on Saturday, the Foreign Ministry said Tehran is closely following the current trends in the South Caucasus region and is in contact with both Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a U.S.-brokered peace agreement on Friday during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump after decades of conflict over the long-disputed region of Karabakh.
The region has always been internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, whose troops retook it in a 24-hour offensive in September 2023.
“Without a doubt, peace and stability in the Caucasus region is in the interest of all countries in the region,” the statement said, adding that Iran welcomes “the finalization of the text of the peace agreement by the two countries,” and considers this development as “an important step in achieving lasting peace in the region.”
“At the same time, Iran expresses concern over the negative consequences of any form of foreign interference, particularly in areas adjacent to shared borders, which could undermine the region’s security and sustainable stability,” it added.
Iran maintains, according to the statement, that the opening of transport corridors and connectivity infrastructure can enhance regional stability, security, and economic prosperity “when it is within the framework of mutual interests, observance of national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries of the region, and without foreign interference.”
The statement added that the Islamic Republic is ready to continue constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation with both Azerbaijan and Armenia “to safeguard peace, stability, and economic development of the region through bilateral and regional cooperation, such as the 3+3 mechanism.”
The 3+3 Regional Cooperation Platform, comprising Iran, Turkey, Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan and Georgia, seeks to address regional challenges through collaborative dialogue and joint efforts.
Iran is acutely aware of longstanding British and American ambitions to extend their influence from the Caucasus into Central Asia—a strategy that seeks to dominate the three smaller regional states while isolating Iran and Russia.