Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has slammed U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent threats as desperation.

Trump has given Iran 48 hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping or face the destruction of its energy infrastructure.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that the U.S. would “hit and obliterate” Iranian power plants – “starting with the biggest one first” – if Tehran did not fully reopen the strait within 48 hours, or 23:44 GMT on Monday according to the time of his post.

The Iranian President responded on X, saying: “The illusion of erasing Iran from the map shows desperation against the will of a history-making nation. Threats and terror only strengthen our unity. The Strait of Hormuz is open to all except those who violate our soil. We firmly confront delirious threats on the battlefield.”

The US Department of State has issued a ‘worldwide caution’ alert, urging Americans to remain vigilant while traveling abroad, particularly in the Middle East, amid rising tensions since the U.S. and Israel launched their attacks on Iran on February 28. 

“The Department of State advises Americans worldwide, and especially in the Middle East, to exercise increased caution.  Americans abroad should follow the guidance in security alerts issued by the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.  Periodic airspace closures may cause travel disruptions.  U.S. diplomatic facilities, including outside the Middle East, have been targeted.  Groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests overseas or locations associated with the United States and/or Americans throughout the world,” it said.

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.

On March 23, the sitting of the National Assembly Council was held. The Armenian Natioanl Assembly President Alen Simonyan presided over it.

According to a statement from the parliament’s press service, the drafts on making addenda to the agenda of the eleventh session of the eighth convocation of the National Assembly and the agenda of the regular sittings to be convened on March 24 were debated and approved.

The sequence for the debate of the agenda items of the regular sittings was also established.

35 items were included in the draft agenda of the regular sittings.

Amendments were made in the (National Assembly Council Decision) NACD-006-L of 2017 of the National Assembly Council.

The NA Chief of Staff, Secretary General Davit Arakelyan presented the substantiations on making the decision.

Armenia and Türkiye are discussing the possibility of establishing scholarships for students from both countries at their universities amid the ongoing dynamic dialogue, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told lawmakers on Monday.

Speaking at the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs during a briefing on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ 2025 report, Mirzoyan said that Armenia and Türkiye currently maintain a fairly “dynamic, active, and promising” dialogue.

Mirzoyan recalled that there are already clear agreements between Yerevan and Ankara, and both countries are moving forward with their implementation.

“Currently, the parties are even discussing the possibility of establishing scholarships for each other’s students at universities in both countries,” Mirzoyan said.

He added that numerous meetings and interactions have taken place between Armenian and Turkish officials during 2025, which indicates a dynamically progressing dialogue between the two states.

Armenia and Pakistan are in the process of reciprocally establishing non-resident embassies, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Monday.

Mirzoyan briefed Members of Parliament on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ 2025 report during a meeting of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs.

He recalled that last year Armenia established diplomatic relations with three countries: Lesotho, the Solomon Islands, and Pakistan.

“Particularly in the case of Pakistan, there had been a longstanding issue, partly connected to Armenia-Azerbaijan and Armenia-Türkiye relations. Last year, we managed to reach a mutual understanding. The Pakistani side also marked this development quite ceremoniously. We established diplomatic relations and will accredit ambassadors — initially as non-resident — but the process is underway,” Mirzoyan said.

Armenia and Pakistan signed the Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations in August 2025 during the SCO summit in Tianjin, China.

Armenia has applied for the third assistance measure from the European Peace Facility, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Monday.

“Armenia received the second assistance measure from the European Peace Facility, and we have already applied for the third,” Mirzoyan told Members of Parliament at the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs during a 2025 report briefing. 

The European Council adopted the second assistance measure for Armenia, worth €20 million, under the European Peace Facility in January 2026.

The objective of the assistance measure is to enhance the logistical capacities of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, with a focus on the protection of civilians in crisis and emergency situations. It will also strengthen Armenia’s resilience and accelerate the interoperability of its Armed Forces in case of possible future participation in international military missions and operations, including those deployed by the EU.

The first assistance measure was provided in 2024. Following the January decision, the total support for Armenia under this framework has grown to €30 million.

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Monday that he believes the dialogue between Armenia and Türkiye has matured sufficiently for diplomatic relations to be established and for the border to be fully reopened.

He made the comments at the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, responding to a question from opposition Armenia bloc MP Gegham Manukyan.

“The Armenia–Türkiye dialogue has matured enough that, alongside the ongoing processes, it can achieve a complete outcome — namely, the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the full opening of the border. There is no dispute on this, and we are conveying the same message to our Turkish partners,” Mirzoyan said.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has disclosed details from a recent closed meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani officials.

Notably, he said that Azerbaijan has not put forth any preconditions regarding constitutional changes in Armenia, but has notified that it will not finalize the initialed peace deal as long as the current wording about Nagorno-Karabakh remains in the Constitution.

Mirzoyan emphasized that Armenia has reiterated to Azerbaijan that finalizing the initialed peace deal is the best way to put an end to all misinterpretations.

According to Mirzoyan, at the most recent closed meeting with the Azerbaijani side, Baku did not demand any changes to the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia.

“When we say that we cannot discuss our Constitution with you because it is Armenia’s internal affair and not a subject for negotiations, they respond: ‘Very well, it is your internal matter, we will not negotiate it; we are simply informing you that as long as your Constitution contains these provisions, we are not prepared to finally sign the peace agreement.’ We take note of this and respond that it is regrettable, because we could also see many other issues, and the best solution would be the signing and ratification of the peace agreement, which would put an end to all misinterpretations,” the Foreign Minister explained in response to a question by opposition Armenia bloc MP Kristine Vardanyan at a parliamentary committee hearing. 

Mirzoyan said this is the issue on which the two sides have diverging stances.

Azerbaijan has repeatedly accused Armenia of having what it describes as territorial claims in its Constitution through its preamble reference to the 1990 Declaration of Independence, which in turn mentions Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia has denied that this reference constitutes territorial claims, and the country’s Constitutional Court has ruled that the mention in no way amounts to such claims. Armenian officials have stated that signing the initialed peace deal with Azerbaijan would resolve all of Azerbaijan’s concerns.

Meanwhile, the Pashinyan administration has initiated constitutional amendments, with work ongoing to develop the draft, but officials have emphasized that this is an unrelated internal matter that has been in the plans for many years.

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Monday reiterated Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s warning that some opposition parties could trigger war if they win the June 7 elections.

Last week, Pashinyan cautioned that the country could face imminent war if certain opposition forces, which he described as being influenced from abroad, win the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Pashinyan said that some groups seek to “revise” the recently established peace. He added that if the opposition wins, war could start as early as September.

When asked how the Prime Minister could mention specific timeframes, and whether his statements constituted blackmailing voters, Mirzoyan, a member of Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party, said:

“I think the timeframe mentioned by the Prime Minister was conditional, meaning he is referring to a short period after the elections. That such a prospect could exist is unquestionable. Some opposition circles hold the ideology that there are territorial issues with almost all neighboring countries, and that we have territorial claims and ambitions. It is obvious that with this mindset, if such people come to power, immediate problems with our neighbors would arise. Considering how countries are trying to address issues these days, there is a very high probability that Armenia would face war immediately. We say that our country needs peace. Under other circumstances, in our deep conviction, it would not be Armenia’s success or development that would be at stake, but Armenia’s very existence as an independent state would come under serious doubt. Peace is our proposal to the citizens, and there is a parallel proposal: ‘No, we don’t need this Armenia at all; we don’t care about it; we want some other Armenia.’ Now, do I see an element of blackmail in our proposal? No, I do not. Why? Because we are doing the right thing — this is our proposal to the citizens of Armenia.”

Responding to a journalist’s remark that the current Armenian government had brought war upon the people, Mirzoyan said that their government did not cause the war; rather, it was the result of more than 30 years of flawed policies.

Pashinyan earlier warned that former President Robert Kocharyan’s Armenia alliance, Gagik Tsarukyan’s Prosperous Armenia, and business magnate Samvel Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia all risk triggering a new war if they win the elections.

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Monday that the swift release of the remaining Armenians held in Azerbaijan would further strengthen the recently established peace between the two countries.

“The position regarding the persons held in Azerbaijan, the prisoners of war, remains the same. I prefer not to speak loudly and publicly about this issue, but rather to work on it. When there is a result, the public is informed. We welcome the recent release of four prisoners and are confident that the prompt release of all remaining detained persons will further strengthen the peace established between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We are working in this direction, and we are also discussing this issue with Azerbaijan and, first and foremost, with Azerbaijan’s partners. At this moment, there is no result. This is a matter where there either is a result or there is not. We are working, of course, and this issue cannot be removed from our agenda. When there is a result, you will know,” the Armenian foreign minister said.

Four Armenians were released by Azerbaijan earlier in January, bringing the number of remaining captives to 19.

Earlier in February, an Azerbaijani military court sentenced several former top political and military leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh to life imprisonment on war crime–related charges widely seen as fabricated.

Former Nagorno-Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan; former Defense Army Commander Levon Mnatsakanyan and his deputy Davit Manukyan; former Foreign Minister Davit Babayan; former Speaker of Parliament Davit Ishkanyan; and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Former Presidents Bako Sahakyan and Arkady Ghukasyan received 20-year prison sentences, as they are over the age of 65 and Azerbaijani law prohibits life imprisonment for individuals of that age.

They are all among the 19 Armenian captives.

Other captives received sentences ranging from 15 to 19 years.

After Azerbaijan’s takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh during its 2023 offensive, the Armenian population—over 100,000 people—fled to Armenia seeking refuge. The former politicians and others were detained during the exodus.