Category: 2022

ArmInfo. The opening of a consulate in Armenia's Kapan is absolutely in line with Tehran's policy toward the South Caucasus in general and toward Armenia in  particular, Vardan Voskanyan, Head of the Chair of Iranian Studies,  Yerevan State University, said in an interview with ArmInfo.

"Iran can bee said to be working north of its borders, employing all  the instruments at its disposal. The consul, Abedin Varamin, has been  appointed, and the process is progressing. I am sure it is not at all  diplomacy alone that accounts for the opening of Iran's consulate in  Armenia's Syunik. Rather, it is Tehran's clear message in response  Turkish-Azerbaijani claims to Armenia's Syunik province," he said. 

Iran has been intensifying its activity in the South Caucasus since  the end of the 44-day Turkish- Azerbaijani aggression against  Armenians. And the South Caucasus, Armenia, the Artsakh problems and  Turkey's expanding its presence in Azerbaijan are Iran's foreign  policy priorities, Mr Voskanyan says. 

Given the vital importance of land communication via Syunik both for  Armenia and Iran, Tehran cannot remain indifferent to the aggressive  statements and actions by Ankara and Baku, whereas Armenia's  leadership is obviously doing nothing. 

ArmInfo. Azerbaijan's current task is clear: complete de- Armenianization of Artsakh. And  tightening the ring round Artsakh and Berdzor, with the adjacent  villages, is seriously facilitating the implementation of Baku's  plans, expert in Azerbaijani studies Tatevik Hayrapetyan said in an  interview with ArmInfo. 

"In this context, I believe that resolving the problem and putting up  barriers to Baku's plans requires extraordinary thinking and  decisions, and, of course, ideologists that would break the chain of  agreements reached behind Armenian society, regardless of who the  parties to the agreements are," she said. 

The current trends round Artsakh are obviously unfavorable to the  Armenian people, as the surrender of the Lachin corridor to  Azerbaijan will create serious problems for Armenia-Artsakh  communication, which, in turn, will afford Baku further opportunities  for pressuring Armenia, whereas uncertainty is reigning in Armenia.  The Armenian authorities are cut off from reality, which only  highlights Baku's coherent actions, particularly those of its  propaganda, which is continuing efforts to cause panic in Armenia,  says Ms Hayrapetyan. 

Since Baku is aware of its successful propaganda, the expert does not  rule out further military provocations in Artsakh and along the  border with Armenia. And with the Armenian authorities not taking any  reasonable steps to enhance the country's security over the last two  years has only given impetus to Baku's militant rhetoric. 

"It is clear that, taken together, all these factors are leaving  Armenia and Artsakh with no alternative but to put up with  Azerbaijan's aggressive policy, though Aliyev goes on casting 'a mist  of peace' before the eyes of the world and mediators. Creeping  warfare is taking place against the Armenian people. And Yerevan's  only response is inaction and fueling uncertainty, which necessitates  proposing ideas and decisions of a new quality for the simple reason  that we cannot continue like this," Mr Hayrapetyan said. 

ArmInfo. Tehran is well aware that the implementation of the Turkish-Azerbaijani "Zangezur Corridor" project means the final blocking of the northern borders of  Iran.  Expert in Iranian studies Armen Vardanyan expressed a similar  opinion to ArmInfo.

"In the event of such fairly large geopolitical changes, the  consequences of which will go beyond not only Armenia, but also the  South Caucasus, Iran will fall into dependence on Turkey and  Azerbaijan.  Meanwhile, today, taking into account the transit  significance of Iran for the tandem, the opposite process is taking  place. In this light, it is clear that the next geopolitical  breakdown of the region clearly does not correspond to the interests  of Tehran," he stressed.

Nevertheless, Vardanyan does not undertake to forecast an unambiguous  military intervention by Iran in the event that Turkey or Azerbaijan  violates the integrity of the Armenian-Iranian border. The reason is  Tehran's rather warm relations with Ankara and Baku, despite all the  problems that periodically arise between them.

But on the other hand, the expert recalled last year's unprecedented  maneuvers of the Iranian army, in particular, the "Islamic  Revolutionary Guard Corps" on the border with Azerbaijan in response  to the threat of an Azerbaijani invasion of the Syunik region of  Armenia, which Baku understood well.

In this light, in the opinion of the Exert, one way or another, but  Iran is determined to defend its own position in favor of the  inviolability of the borders with Armenia. Which, in his opinion,  despite all the objective geopolitical difficulties along this path,  raises the need for new steps by Yerevan to deepen relations with  Tehran to a strategic level. 

ArmInfo.A delegation of Iranian military specialists  visited the so-called "liberated territories of Azerbaijan", the  Turan agency reports, with reference to today's message from the  Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which organized  this trip.

It is noted that on Tuesday members of the delegation, which also  included employees of the Iranian embassy in Baku, visited the cities  of Barda and Terter. There they got acquainted with the consequences  of the bombing of these cities during the Second Karabakh War.

The trip of the Iranian delegation will last until August 20. 

ArmInfo. By the decree of Prime Minister of Armenia  Nikol Pashinyan, on August 17-18, mourning was declared in the  country in connection with the tragedy that occurred in the Yerevan  Surmalu shopping center.

On August 14, an explosion took place in Surmalu shopping center. A  fire in a pyrotechnic warehouse is mentioned as a probable cause.  Rescuers managed to put out the fire only the next day. Until now,  work is underway to clear the rubble and search for missing citizens.  As of the morning of August 16, 16 people were killed, 8 citizens are  missing, more than 60 people were hospitalized. In connection with  the incident, a criminal case was initiated.