Despite the war with Iran, the United States remains committed to implementing an agreement to open a U.S.-administered transit corridor for Azerbaijan through Armenia, according to the State Department.
“The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) remains a top priority for the United States, with the potential to unleash peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus region and beyond,” a department spokesperson told the Armenpress news agency late on Thursday. “The Trump Administration remains committed to making TRIPP a reality.”
“It will allow unimpeded international and intrastate connectivity in the region, expanding opportunities for increased economic growth and prosperity,” the official said.
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan similarly insisted on Friday that despite “not-so-favorable processes taking place in the region” Washington and Yerevan keep working together on the issue.
“We are in the process of working out an intergovernmental [U.S.-Armenian] agreement,” he told reporters. “We are constantly exchanging ideas and positions on individual issues with representatives of the American administration. We hope to enter the next, construction phase as soon as possible.”
The TRIPP is to connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave through Armenia’s strategic Syunik region bordering Iran. According to a joint U.S.-Armenian “implementation framework” signed in January, a special company controlled by the U.S. government will build a railway, a road, energy supply lines and other infrastructure along the Armenian-Iranian border and manage them for at least 49 years. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said late last year that work on that infrastructure will start this summer.
Pashinian said on March 12, however, that it will likely be delayed by the ongoing war between Iran and the U.S. and Israel. He said the TRIPP is “not a priority for the U.S. administration today.”
Iranian officials spoke out against the transit arrangement in the months leading up to the war. They feared that it could undermine Armenian control of the border and lead to U.S. security presence there. Some observers believe that Tehran will now be even more opposed to the transit arrangement.
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Armenian Foreign Minister meets Kazakh counterpart in Yerevan
Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan held a meeting with his Kazakh counterpart, Yermek Kosherbayev, in Yerevan on Thursday.
Kosherbayev is on an official visit to Armenia. An expanded-format meeting is planned following the one-on-one talks.
Published by Armenpress, original at
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The deception of spectacular individual victories leading to defeat
April 9, 2026
The Republican Party announced its decision not to participate in the NA elections, while expressing its readiness to contribute to the change of power and the victory of the opposition forces by all possible means. The RPA, among other means, undertook the task of organizing various actions on the days of the European Political Community Summit to be held in Yerevan in early May and the first European Union-Armenia summit.
The RPA’s position is not typical of ordinary pre-election realities, and has nothing to do with the electoral boycott. It fully corresponds to today’s non-standard situation in Armenia, in fact to ontological threats, which can no longer be faced with classical political tools, such as elections. The problem is not the approach of the party taken separately, but in a broader sense, the concept with which any political force treats the created situation.
Today, all forces actively participating in the elections are constantly announcing their chances of winning. This concept, which is completely normal for standard situations, should be completely different in the country, where the elections will not determine the arrangement of the parliamentary forces, but even the question of the existence of the state.
In these conditions, it is conceptually important to aim not for the partial victory of the opposition forces in the elections, but for the complete defeat of the government. This is not one of those cases where the former mechanically implies the latter. Simple mathematics and sociology do not work in such cases. The victories of the opposition forces, taken separately, even if impressive, without a 100 percent defeat of the government, will result in the victory of the same government, with some, at that moment, insignificant percentage.
This means that if the CP does not leave power and does not leave unconditionally, then it becomes completely secondary which of the opposition forces will get how many mandates in the future NA. At the moment, however, the election game is going in that direction. the opposition forces are counting their future mandates, the CP is counting the days until June 7 will arrive and the counting of the opposition will move to the polling station.
At the moment, only the RPA has made an offer opposing this scheme, along with the pre-election standard competition gaining momentum with the dominance of the Communist Party, offering a conditional street as the last chance for the complete defeat of the government. Moreover, the same RPA has been consistently promoting the “Impeachment” initiative since last year, which, along with the street struggle, can become a unique non-electoral chance for a change of power. The rest of the political field has not yet responded to the RPA’s proposal, at least at the institutional level, which makes us believe that for most of the oppositionists, however, what is important is their individual victory and not the complete defeat of power.
When the political forces choose the mandate in the dilemma of the mandate and the salvation of the state, the final victory of those who caused the imperative to save the state is recorded. Their ultimate victory is the ultimate defeat of the state, which, however, is of little concern to those for whom individual victories are important in total defeats.
Harutyun Avetisyan
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Armenpress: Israel issues warning to Iranians to avoid taking trains
The Israeli military warned Iranians on Tuesday to avoid taking trains until at least 9 p.m. local time, AP reported.
“Your presence puts your life at risk,” the warning posted on X in Farsi read, likely signaling a new target for their airstrikes.
The U.S. and Israel launched what they described as a pre-emptive strike against Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon and posed a threat—an allegation Iran has denied. In response, Iran launched counterattacks, firing missiles and drones at Israel, as well as at U.S. assets and other targets across the Middle East.
Published by Armenpress, original at
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Turkish Press: Armenia courts EU while Russia warns against dual membership
Armenia is advancing its strategic partnership with the European Union while navigating increasingly pointed signals from Moscow about the limits of its geopolitical balancing act, as top diplomats on both sides of the relationship stepped up engagement this week.
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan spoke by phone Tuesday with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to discuss the consistent implementation of the bilateral strategic partnership between Yerevan and Brussels. The two officials also reviewed upcoming high-level visits and events, and discussed initiatives aimed at producing continued tangible results from the partnership. Their conversation extended to regional affairs, including developments in the Middle East and possible avenues for resolving the situation there.
Putin signals Moscow’s red line on dual membership
The diplomatic activity comes against a backdrop of quietly intensifying pressure from Russia. At a Kremlin meeting in early April, President Vladimir Putin told Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that Moscow remains calm about Armenia’s growing engagement with the EU. He made clear, however, that Yerevan cannot simultaneously hold membership in the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union, drawing a firm boundary around how far Armenia’s western pivot can go without formal consequences.
The EAEU, a Moscow-led economic bloc that also includes Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, has served as one of the principal institutional ties binding Armenia to Russia’s sphere of influence since the country joined in 2015. Armenia’s parallel pursuit of closer EU ties has grown more pronounced in recent years, straining that relationship.
Parliament speaker raises prospect of broader break with Moscow
Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan escalated the rhetoric further, saying Yerevan would withdraw from both the CSTO and the EAEU if Russia moves to raise natural gas prices for Armenia. The CSTO, a Russian-led collective defense alliance, is another pillar of Armenia’s formal security architecture with Moscow, though Yerevan has already distanced itself from the organization in practice following the 2020 and 2022 conflicts over Karabakh.
Simonyan tempered his remarks by expressing doubt the situation would reach that point. “I know that a very good and effective conversation took place between the heads of state,” he said, suggesting the Pashinyan-Putin meeting had produced enough goodwill to prevent an energy pricing dispute from triggering a broader rupture.
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Russia Rules Out Railway Concession Talks With Armenia Or Kazakhstan While Emp
On April 1, Maria Zakharova, the Spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated at a briefing that Moscow is not engaged in negotiations with either Astana or Yerevan regarding the transfer of the concession for managing Armenia’s railways to Kazakhstan. Referring to remarks made on March 30 by Andrei Nikitin, the Transport Minister of Russia, she emphasized the importance of considering expert-level assessments. “It is very important to take into account what was made at the expert level—I mean, at the level of the relevant department… this expert statement,” Zakharova stated.
She also recalled that the concession agreement for the South Caucasus Railway, signed in 2008, has a duration of 30 years with the possibility of a 10-year extension. According to her, South Caucasus Railways CJSC has consistently fulfilled its obligations, while Russian investments in Armenia’s railway infrastructure have exceeded 30 billion rubles. Commenting on potential high-level negotiations, Zakharova added that such matters are traditionally addressed by the presidential administration.
Addressing another issue, Maria Zakharova stated that Russia is ready to cooperate with Armenia in countering “hybrid threats” if there is mutual interest from the Armenian side. She made this remark in response to comments by Ararat Mirzoyan, the Foreign Minister of Armenia, who did not rule out benefiting from Russia’s experience in this field.
Zakharova подчеркнула that Russia possesses significant capabilities in this area, but effective cooperation requires willingness from both sides. She noted that Moscow stands ready to respond to any such request, including in areas such as information security, combating cyber fraud, and engagement on international platforms. The spokesperson added that Russia is prepared not only to provide expert assessments but also to develop practical cooperation mechanisms, supported by specialized departments within the Foreign Ministry and other relevant agencies.
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Iranian Ambassador to Armenia: “Iran Will Not Preemptively Take Position On Tr
On April 2, Khalil Shirgolami, the Iranian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia, noted that Tehran does not wish to preemptively take a position or draw conclusions regarding the Trump Route (TRIPP).
Shirgolami emphasized that Iran has previously expressed support for Armenia developing its potential as a transit route, including discussions on lifting the blockade, the North-South corridor, and connecting the Black Sea with the Persian Gulf. At the same time, he noted that Iran is attentive to ensuring these developments do not create security concerns.
The ambassador also referenced US intentions toward Iran, mentioning statements by former President Donald Trump and Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth about returning Iran “to the Stone Age.” He contrasted this with Persian history, highlighting that “when many were still living in caves, Persia, led by King Cyrus the Great, published the first declaration of human rights.”
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Geopolitical storm and the collapse of Pashinyan’s illusions
While our society is focused on pre-election internal political issues, a global geopolitical storm is taking place in our own region, which will significantly change the world order and will have a fatal impact on Armenia’s security and future.
The American-Israeli war against Iran can already be considered a failure, at least in terms of the implementation of the initial plans.
♦ Iran has taken control of the Strait of Hormuz, which is tantamount to establishing control over the world economy without exaggeration.
♦ Destroyed 70 percent of US military bases in the Middle East, all important radars worth billions, a strategic AWACS system aircraft worth 700 million dollars.
♦ The United States and Israel are facing acute shortages of strategic weapons and ammunition.
It has become clear that American ground operations or the opening of the Strait of Hormuz will demand a very heavy price for which the Trump administration is simply not ready.
It can be predicted that in the most likely scenarios of the development of the military situation, the prospects for the implementation of TRIPP approach zero.
This puts a lot of pressure on Nikol Pashinyan, whose claims about “bringing peace” to Armenia were largely based on promises to implement the TRIPP program itself.
It is no coincidence that Pashinyan has again started blackmailing his own people with the prospect of a “disastrous war” coming in September, falling into a trap and trying to rebuild bridges with Moscow.
The problem, however, is that the policy of “falling into the trap” is a consequence of not understanding geopolitical processes and only brings harm to Armenia, whose leadership is very late in understanding foreign political processes, putting our people in front of a new disaster every time.
ANC Vice President Levon Zurabyan
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The police and the Investigative Committee conducted about 20 searches in Yerevan
Alarms were received that special police operations are underway in different parts of the capital, reports 168.am.
In response to the inquiry, the spokesman of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Narek Sargsyan, said that the officers of the criminal police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, together with the Investigative Committee, are conducting searches at around 20 addresses in Yerevan.
At the moment, no information is provided regarding the purpose of the actions and other details.
There is information that the searches are carried out in the places of residence of people with a criminal subculture.
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It is in Baku’s interest that everything in Yerevan remains as it is
Imagine for a moment that there was a person in power in Azerbaijan who would carry our theses and our ideas word for word. Let’s leave aside its factuality. just go and repeat them verbatim on the subject of Artsakh.
Imagine if it was preached so actively that a part of the Azerbaijani public would start to think the way it suits us, the way we consider fair, start thinking the way we want. Say that it would be a greater success than any war and victory in it. That would mean defeating them not only on the battlefield, but also ideologically. Roughly speaking, ruling over their brains…
It would be good for us, wouldn’t it? This is exactly what is happening against us during this time. Imagine how happy it is for them to stay in the current government in Armenia…
Azerbaijanologist Tatev Hayrapetyan
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