On April 16, Robert Kocharyan, the second President of the Republic of Armenia and the prime ministerial candidate from the Armenia bloc, stated during the “Big Politics” podcast that he is most interested in Iran and the United States reaching an agreement, arguing that such a development could allow Iran to emerge from the ongoing confrontation with greater leverage.
Kocharyan emphasized that if such an agreement includes a review of sanctions, their lifting, or significant easing, it would open new opportunities for economic cooperation with Iran. He stated, “Of course, Iran will need time to normalize relations with Arab countries, but I have no doubt that all this will be restored very quickly,” adding that this would create a favorable environment for economic rapprochement with Iran. He also described this scenario as highly likely, claiming that it is predictable that the US administration would lose control of Congress in the coming months and that the next years would be politically unstable in Washington.
Referring to regional transport and connectivity initiatives, Kocharyan stated that the TRIPP project has come into serious question due to growing concerns in relations with Iran. He emphasized that in the current situation he does not see practical implementation of TRIPP, arguing that the only viable option would be to expand the format to include countries such as Russia and China, or any state perceived by Iran as friendly. He further noted that if sanctions on Iran are lifted and a comprehensive settlement is reached, Iran could become a major transit route to Europe, significantly altering global logistics corridors, including routes involving China, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, and Europe. He stressed that Armenia must act cautiously in its relations with Iran and avoid steps that could damage long-standing ties.
Kocharyan also stated that Iran responded asymmetrically to US military actions, using its geographic position to offset US military superiority, and claimed this approach proved effective. He argued that escalation had involved attacks on US allies in the region and disruptions affecting strategic routes, while also referencing negotiations involving multiple Iranian proposals discussed in Pakistan.
He further stated that an agreement between Iran and the United States remains possible, but questioned whether Iran would be willing to make concessions or instead seek to consolidate its strategic position. Kocharyan also claimed that rhetoric from US political leadership has strengthened Iranian domestic unity and framed the confrontation as a patriotic struggle.
At the same time, he warned that a hot phase of conflict cannot be ruled out due to the unpredictability of US leadership, stating that military options alone would not be sufficient to achieve victory and that a ground operation would create serious challenges.
https://caucasuswatch.de/en/news/kocharyan-links-us-iran-deal-prospects-to-regional-trade-shifts-and-questions-future-of-tripp.html
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