The United States is expanding cooperation with Armenia in mining and geological exploration following agreements reached at the August 2025 Washington peace summit, a senior US diplomat said.
Speaking on April 2, Andrew Johnson, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Armenia, highlighted the agreements signed during the summit, including the TRIPP initiative and three memorandums of understanding.
Johnson said the agreements reflect Washington’s commitment to “a stable, secure, and prosperous South Caucasus,” adding that the US and Armenia are now actively expanding cooperation in the mining sector.
“Their shared goal is to create an industry that will attract responsible investment, strengthen institutions, and bring broad benefits to the people of Armenia and the US,” he said.
He noted that major American investments already signal growing international confidence in Armenia’s geological potential, with US companies bringing advanced technology, high standards, and an emphasis on transparency.
Describing Armenia’s geological resources as a “strategic asset,” Johnson said their development could drive economic growth and enhance regional stability if managed sustainably.
The US, he added, is prepared to support these efforts through expertise and institutional cooperation, including via the United States Geological Survey and other government and academic partners. Areas under discussion include geological mapping, data sharing, professional training, and environmental and social standards.
“Productive conversations have taken place between our governments on these matters just this week,” Johnson said.
He also highlighted the role of Armenian geologists in shaping decisions on infrastructure, energy, water, and mineral resources, stressing that their work requires “scientific rigor, honesty, and a long-term perspective.”
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After Tense Kremlin Talks: Russian Officials Warn EU Shift Threatens Regional
At talks in the Kremlin, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan directly challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin over long‑standing geopolitical issues, most notably Russia’s failure to uphold its security commitments to Armenia. Pashinyan criticized the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) for not intervening during Azerbaijan’s advances in Nagorno‑Karabakh, highlighting a major source of tension between Yerevan and Moscow. Putin, in response, warned that Armenia cannot be both in the European Union and the Russia‑led Eurasian Economic Union, underscoring Moscow’s concern about Armenia’s westward political shift. The exchange was described by the Kremlin as frank and closed‑door, reflecting the complexity of their discussions, which also touched on economic cooperation, upcoming Armenian elections, and broader regional dynamics. In the days since the meeting, Russia applied stricter requirements on Armenian imports, a move seen as part of the broader diplomatic strain following the tense encounter.
Russian officials, including Medvedev, Zatulin, Kopyrkin, Peskov, Lavrov, and Overchuk, warned that the EU is becoming a military-oriented bloc, criticized Armenia’s EU-leaning policies, reaffirmed the incompatibility of EAEU and EU membership, and stressed the need for constructive dialogue and caution regarding Armenia’s choices.
Medvedev Warns EU Shift Threatens Russia And Neighboring States
On April 3, Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, stated that the European Union is evolving from an economic bloc into a military-oriented alliance, warning that it could become “even worse than NATO” for Moscow, with serious implications for Russia.
He emphasized that this shift requires a reassessment of Russia’s stance toward neighboring countries seeking EU membership, including Ukraine. “It’s time to abandon the tolerant attitude toward our neighbors joining the military-economic European Union. Including country 404,” Medvedev stated on his Max channel. He added that Russia’s leadership had already signaled this change, noting that “membership in the EAEU and membership in the EU are incompatible.”
Medvedev recalled that, until recently, Moscow had maintained a restrained and neutral tone regarding EU accession aspirations among neighboring states, including Ukraine. “If you want to join, go ahead,” he remarked, describing the earlier approach.
However, he stressed that this position can no longer be sustained, arguing that the EU is “no longer an economic union.” According to him, it may “quite quickly turn into a full-fledged and extremely hostile military alliance for Russia, in some ways worse than NATO.”
Zatulin: “Pashinyan Exposed Himself During April 1 Meeting”
On April 3, Konstantin Zatulin, the Russian State Duma MP, commented on the recent meeting between Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation, and Nikol Pashinyan, the Prime Minister of Armenia, criticizing the Armenian leader’s policies and statements. Zatulin began by ironically noting the symbolism of holding the meeting on April 1, suggesting it gave Pashinyan an opportunity to “expose himself.” He added that the Armenian Prime Minister was fortunate to meet Putin rather than Donald Trump, implying the encounter could have been far more confrontational. According to Zatulin, Putin highlighted key concerns during the talks, including a sharp decline in bilateral trade, which reportedly dropped from $11 billion to $6 billion over the past year. He emphasized that Russia remains Armenia’s primary economic partner, pointing out energy pricing differences: “gas is currently trading at $600 per thousand cubic meters, while we sell it to you for $177.” Zatulin stated that Putin made it clear Armenia could seek alternatives, but Russia remains essential for its economy.
He further noted that Putin reiterated Moscow’s position that membership in both the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union is incompatible. In response, Pashinyan acknowledged this but stated that “the time is not yet ripe,” indicating Armenia has not yet made a final choice. Zatulin argued that, despite such statements in Moscow, Armenian authorities are actively working to redirect the country’s economic and political orientation. He criticized Yerevan’s EU-related policies, including legislation supporting closer integration, claiming these moves are unrealistic and aimed at influencing domestic opinion rather than achieving actual membership. He also questioned Armenia’s reliability as an ally, pointing to declining trade and what he described as policies discouraging Russian investment. Zatulin cited remarks by Alexei Overchuk, the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, who attributed the downturn partly to Armenia’s economic decisions.
Touching on regional issues, Zatulin accused Pashinyan of misrepresenting the situation around the former Nagorno-Karabakh region. He claimed that Armenia’s leadership had effectively recognized the territory as part of Azerbaijan and later blamed Russia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) for developments. He rejected such claims, stating: “That’s a lie.” Zatulin also criticized Armenia’s stance toward the CSTO, questioning why Yerevan expects support against Azerbaijan while simultaneously improving relations with Baku. He argued that Pashinyan has used criticism of the organization for domestic political purposes. In addition, he referred to Armenia’s recent policy decisions, including discussions on transferring the railway concession managed by Russian Railways to Kazakhstan and potential cooperation with the United States on small modular nuclear power plants, as further signs of shifting alliances. Zatulin also addressed internal developments in Armenia, alleging pressure on pro-Russian figures and the opposition. He mentioned the arrest of Russian citizen Samvel Karapetyan, as well as actions involving representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church, as examples contradicting claims of democratic governance. Concluding his remarks, Zatulin suggested that Pashinyan sought the meeting with Putin primarily to maintain the appearance of stable relations with Russia for domestic audiences. “I don’t think this meeting with Vladimir Putin will make it easy for him,” he stated.
Kopyrkin: “Moscow Genuinely Interested In Strengthening Relations With Armenia”
On April 4, Sergey Kopyrkin, the Russian Ambassador to Armenia, stated that Moscow is genuinely interested in maintaining and further strengthening relations with Armenia, describing the country and its people as “fraternal.”
He emphasized the importance of addressing existing challenges through open and constructive dialogue. “Therefore, we consider it necessary to speak frankly but constructively about the real problems that exist,” Kopyrkin stated, highlighting the need for honesty in bilateral engagement.
According to him, recent contacts at the highest level reflected a relationship based on trust. “How else can we discuss sensitive, problematic issues if not at this level?” he added, underscoring the role of high-level dialogue in resolving complex matters.
Kopyrkin also noted that initiatives aimed at deepening cultural ties are under consideration, including the organization of Armenian Cultural Days in Russia and Russian Spiritual Culture Days in Armenia later this year.
Peskov Emphasizes Constructive Russia-Armenia Relations And Dialogue
On April 5, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov addressed questions regarding Russia’s position on Armenia and the recent Kremlin meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Peskov emphasized that Moscow wishes to avoid “unnecessary references” to Russia when discussing the Karabakh issue. “The only thing President Putin and Russia want is that there be no unnecessary references to us when discussing this issue,” he told IS Vesti contributor Pavel Zarubin.
Commenting on Armenia’s participation in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Peskov highlighted its economic benefits. “You have integration in the form of the EAEU. And you earn money there, quite a bit of it. Your membership in the EAEU now gives you the opportunity to develop at an accelerated rate, much higher than the CIS average, and certainly much higher than ours in the Russian Federation,” he said. He also stressed that Yerevan understands the impossibility of simultaneously being in both the EAEU and the EU.
Peskov noted that Russia reserves the right to discuss Armenia’s upcoming elections and future plans directly with Yerevan. “We consider ourselves entitled to try to clarify with our colleagues and genuinely discuss their plans [in the context of the upcoming elections],” he explained.
Highlighting the close historical ties and strong Armenian diaspora in Russia, Peskov said Moscow takes a particular interest in the priorities of the Armenian leadership. “Armenia is a country close to us, with which we share deep historical roots. We have a huge Armenian diaspora living here, over 2 million people. Therefore, the priorities the Armenian leadership chooses for itself are a matter of great interest to us,” he added.
Regarding the April 1 Kremlin meeting between Putin and Pashinyan, Peskov described the conversation as frank, useful, and necessary. “The conversation [during the meeting] was frank, useful, and necessary. The parties communicated their positions, particularly in the context of the upcoming elections in Armenia and the key issues of trade and economic cooperation on the agenda,” he noted.
Lavrov: “Armenian Side Demonstrated Understanding Of Concerns Expressed By Russia”
On April 5, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Armenia showed understanding of the concerns raised by President Vladimir Putin during his meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. “The Armenian side demonstrated understanding of the concerns expressed by Russia,” Lavrov said.
He added, “We will see how relations develop in practice,” emphasizing that the next steps will depend on Armenia’s actions following the discussions.
Overchuk Warns: “Armenia Could Lose Air Travel With Russia If Joining EU”
On April 5, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk warned that Armenia could lose air travel connections with Russia if it joins the European Union. “The current lack of air travel with European Union countries means that we will lose air travel with Armenia,” Overchuk stated.
He stressed that Armenian citizens should understand the potential consequences of Yerevan’s EU-oriented decisions. “This may sound very harsh, but we want people in Armenia to understand that if this happens, it will happen because decisions have been made to move closer to the European Union,” he emphasized. At the same time, Overchuk noted that the full consequences of Armenia joining the EU remain uncertain.
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Azerbaijan Condemns Russian Comments On Karabakh And Reaffirms Territorial Int
On April 5, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reacted strongly to Russia’s public references to Nagorno-Karabakh during and after the April 1 Kremlin meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
The Ministry noted that Russian officials publicly addressed issues “related exclusively to Azerbaijan’s internal affairs” and stressed that Azerbaijan’s position on the inadmissibility of using the Karabakh region for political speculation has been communicated through diplomatic channels to the Russian presidential administration, government, and Foreign Ministry.
Azerbaijan emphasized that “the Karabakh region is an integral part of Azerbaijan” based on history, international law, and justice—not on any foreign state’s decision. The Foreign Ministry condemned repeated mentions of Karabakh in Russian political discourse, citing a recent interview by Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov on Russian-Armenian relations.
“We remind the Russian side that no country, including the Russian Federation, has ever questioned the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, including the Karabakh region. We expect that issues related to Azerbaijan’s sovereignty will not become a subject of public discussion during the current difficult period in Russian-Armenian relations,” the statement concluded.
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April 12 WT World Music Festival to Highlight Armenia
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April 12 WT World Music Festival to Highlight Armenia
CANYON, Texas — The sounds of Armenia will be celebrated at West Texas A&M University’s second World Music Festival.
The festival will begin at 3 p.m. April 12 with a concert featuring Armenian concert pianist Dr. Hayk Arsenyan in Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall on WT’s Canyon campus.
Admission is free. For information, call 806-651-2840.
Organizer Mila Abbasova, instructor of music theory and piano, is Armenian by birth but grew up in Azerbaijan.
“I grew up in a very international atmosphere, and my piano teacher was a very famous Armenian,” Abbasova said. “We always played music from Eastern Europe, but I never actually performed Armenian music in recital, so this is a very special concert for me.
“Music from my homeland touches my heart and brings memories back,” she said.
The concert also will feature the WT Symphonic Band, directed by Don Lefevre, associate professor of music and director of bands, as well as performances by Jessica Schury Peckham, assistant professor of flute; Dr. Jenny Miller, adjunct professor of harp; and Kanani Crandall, WT alumna.
Arsenyan, a New York-based pianist and composer, has appeared in numerous recitals throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas, in venues such as Carnegie Hall (New York), Salle Cortot (Paris), the Concourse (Sydney), Cadillac-Shanghai Concert Hall (China), Kumin Hall (Tokyo), Petranka Mozarteum (Prague), Auditorio Delibes (Valladolid), Dar-Al-Assad Opera House (Damascus), Sala Cervantes (Havana), MoBU (Sao Paolo), Tchaikovsky Hall (Moscow), Philippines National Museum (Bacolod), and televised recitals at the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series in Chicago, the Phillips Collection Series in Washington, D.C., and at the Nixon Presidential Museum in Los Angeles.
At the age of 11, Arsenyan made his debut at the Armenian Philharmonic performing his own “Requiem” for the piano and orchestra. At the age of 17, he made his European debut as a soloist with the Radio France National Philharmonic Orchestra and was awarded a platinum medal by the City of Paris. In 2007, Arsenyan debuted at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall performing with Pinchas Zukerman and the Manhattan Chamber Sinfonia.
A long-time professor at New York University’s Tisch School, Arsenyan has presented guest lectures and masterclasses at universities and conservatories around the globe.
Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.
That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign, which is now winding down, has raised more than $175 million.
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Armenia’s Artur Davtyan vaults to fifth consecutive gold at World Cup of Cair
Written by John Crumlish for International Gymnast Online
Monday, April 6, 2026
For the fifth consecutive time in the history of the competition, four-time Olympian Artur Davtyan won gold on vault at the World Cup of Cairo that ended Monday.
AIN gymnast Daniel Marinov earned gold on floor exercise. Born December 17, 2004, Bulgaria, he finished seventh all-around, third on parallel bars, seventh on vault and eighth on horizontal bar at last year’s World Championships in Jakarta.
China’s Li Hongyan claimed gold on horizontal bar. Li, a 23-year-old native of Sichuan, placed 13th all-around and sixth on parallel bars at the 2019 Junior World Championships in Gyor, and fourth on horizontal bar at last year’s World Cup of Osijek. He was a member of China’s gold medal-winning squad at last month’s American Cup.
The other men’s winners were defending champion Hamlet Manukyan of Armenia on pommel horse, Eleftherios Petrounias of Greece on still rings and Liu Yang of China on parallel bars.
In the women’s competition, Kaylia Nemour of Algeria finished first on uneven bars, even with a fall, and followed up with gold on balance beam. She won the same two events at last year’s competition.
Spain’s Laia Font placed first on vault. Born February 20, 2007, in Gironella, she placed 22nd all-around at the 2025 World Championships in Jakarta and sixth on vault at the 2025 European Championships in Leipzig. Font took bronze on vault at last month’s World Cup of Antalya, where she was fourth on floor exercise, sixth on uneven bars and sixth on balance beam.
Ke Qinqin of China took gold on floor exercise and silver on balance beam. Ke, a 15-year-old from Hubei, was a member of the gold medal-winning Chinese team at last month’s American Cup mixed team competition in Nevada.
2026 World Cup of Cairo
April 3-6
Women:
Vault:
- Laia Font ESP 13.533
- Hillary Heron PAN 13.499
- Yu Linmin CHN 13.349
Uneven Bars:
- Kaylia Nemour ALG 14.033
- Jiang Shuting CHN 13.700
- Lucija Hribar SLO 13.100
Balance Beam:
- Kaylia Nemour ALG 14.266
- Ke Qinqin CHN 14.166
- Qiu Qiyuan CHN 12.833
Floor Exercise:
- Ke Qinqin CHN 12.966
- Hillary Heron PAN 12.933
- Laia Font ESP 12.900
Men:
Floor Exercise:
- Daniel Marinov AIN 14.233
- Arsenii Dukhno AIN 14.133
- Karl Yulo PHI 14.000
Pommel Horse:
- Hamlet Manukyan ARM 14.800
- Zeinolla Idrissov KAZ 14.566
- Nariman Kurbanov KAZ 14.566*
*tie broken by Idrissov’s higher Execution score
Still Rings:
- Eleftherios Petrounias GRE 14.366
- Artur Avetisyan ARM 14.300
- Liu Yang CHN 13.866
Vault:
- Artur Davtyan ARM 14.666
- Assan Salimov KAZ 14.083
- Jonas Danek CZE 14.016
Parallel Bars:
- Liu Yang CHN 14.366
- Mohamed Afify EGY 14.200
- Arsenii Dukhno AIN 14.166
Horizontal Bar:
- Li Hongyan CHN 14.200
- Marios Georgiou CYP 13.900
- Karl Yulo PHI 13.733
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At the Armenian Museum of America, Arshile Gorky’s Work Returns to Watertown
Through paintings, drawings, prints, and a musical documentary, “Arshile Gorky: Redrawing Community and Connections” charts the artist’s evolution from an Armenian immigrant in Watertown to a defining figure of modern American art.
Review by Abigail Feliciano
At the Armenian Museum of America, “Arshile Gorky: Redrawing Community and Connections” invites viewers to reflect on the artist’s humble beginnings as an immigrant in Watertown and his later evolution as a pioneer of American Abstract Expressionism. The exhibition, curated by Kim S. Theriault and on view through April 26, draws deeply on Gorky’s relationships and the ways in which he relied on family, friends, and surroundings to foster his artistic practice. Through twenty-seven works, including paintings, drawings, prints, and a musical documentary, viewers take a kaleidoscopic journey through the course of Gorky’s career, encountering the techniques, motifs, and compositions inspired by the cultural vanguard of his era that would define Gorky as a master of abstraction.
Along the Charles River, Watertown’s thriving manufacturing industry promised opportunity for immigrants and became a developed community for those fleeing the Armenian Genocide. In 1920, Arshile Gorky, still referred to by his birth name Vostanik Manoug Adoian, arrived in the US with his sister Vartoosh Mooradian and settled in Watertown, reconnecting with relatives. Straying from societal norms and the expectations of his family, Gorky was dissatisfied with factory work and wanted to pursue a career as an artist. He achieved his dream by enrolling in classes at the newly founded New England School of Art and studying the old masters at the Museums of Fine Arts, Boston. His earliest models included friends, family, and himself, as demonstrated in Self-Portrait (1923–24), an early surviving work painted in Watertown. The artist rendered himself in a subdued palette, emphasizing texture through thick, layered brushstrokes across his jacket and shirt collar, while sweeping, gestural marks articulate facial features such as the bridge of his nose. His averted gaze evokes a sense of introspection. From his formative stages, the artist demonstrated a technical command of the medium.
In 1924, during a period of reinvention, the artist shed his identity as an Armenian refugee, renaming himself after the Russian/Soviet writer Maxim Gorky and moving to New York City, determined to make his mark on America’s richest artistic hub. Throughout the ongoing process of self-fashioning, Gorky actively constructed a revised biography, at times claiming Russian and/or Georgian noble origins and formal training in Europe, creating distance from his Armenian heritage while situating himself within a more cosmopolitan artistic identity.
Arshile Gorky, Self-Portrait, 1923–24. Oil on canvas board, 16 x 12 inches. Front, upper left: Gorky. Reverse not inscribed. Private collection.
Gorky aligned himself with the most avant-garde movements available to him. His compositions evince a reverence for artists like Pablo Picasso and Paul Cézanne.Yet these references signal more than the influence of established figures. Although Gorky falsely claimed to have studied in Paris, his engagement with Cubism and abstraction reflects a deliberate effort to assert himself within a contemporary canon. Working in the United States, he familiarized himself with developments that had only recently emerged in Europe and were still gaining traction among a limited circle of forward-looking collectors. His knowledge and practice underscored both his ambition and tenacity.
In Still Life with Pitcher and Pears (c. 1926–27) the artist depicts an arrangement with an assortment of fruit and tableware with multiple perspectives—a technique popularized by Cézanne. In the tabletop scene Still Life with Pitcher (c. 1928–29), Gorky mimics Picasso’s later Cubist works, where representational objects are broken into fields of color and patterns, deconstructed across a tabletop. In this instance, a pitcher is divided by a black angular mark. It is partially abstracted in white to the right and rendered realistically in grey to the left. By absorbing and reworking these frameworks, Gorky developed a visual language that was not only informed by modernism, but actively participated in shaping its evolving trajectory.
As one traverses the exhibition space, it becomes difficult to ignore the music, laden with tension, playing in the distance. Nestled in an intimate screening room, the documentary created by Armenian American composer and documentarian Mary Kouyoumdjian and Armenian Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan, They Will Take My Island (2020), plays on repeat, featuring JACK Quartet and Silvana Quartet. This thirty-one-minute piece chronicles Gorky’s life as an Armenian immigrant through grief, displacement, and his formation as an artist. Gorky’s relationship with his mother, whom he lost to starvation in 1919, is central to the film, a photograph of the two of them during his youth appearing on screen recurring throughout. The artist would revisit her memory throughout his life as a source of inspiration.
In the somber black-and-white photograph, Gorky’s mother, Shushan Der Marderosian Adoian, sits dressed in a floral apron and a headscarf, gently closed fists resting in her lap. Dressed sharply, Gorky stands alongside her, holding a small bouquet of flowers. They both look beyond the frame with vacant stares. Intended to be sent to Gorky’s father in America along with a request for financial support, the photograph is a reminder of the family that is left waiting in Armenia. This photograph was the motivating force behind the painting The Artist and His Mother (c. 1926–c. 1936), one of Gorky’s most recognized masterworks, which exists in multiple versions now held by institutions including the National Gallery of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Gorky repeatedly invoked his mother’s presence by drawing her image as seen in Study for Mother and Son (c. 1936), where her likeness is captured in densely worked graphite.
At the heart of the exhibition are the relationships that Gorky forged, reflected in the personal objects on view. In Portrait of De Hirsh Margules and Portrait of Blanche Margules (both c. 1937–38), ink on paper doily drawings with minimal mark-making, Gorky outlines the profiles of his artist friend and his wife. The simplicity of the composition implies that the works were executed with a sense of immediacy, as if responding directly to a moment of inspiration. The fragility of these objects makes the preservation of the materials so remarkable. It’s apparent that these works were deeply cherished. Gorky’s relationships with fellow artists emerged as a crucial force to both his working process and his sense of belonging.
Drawing, 4 P.M. (c. 1945–46) is a double-sided composition in graphite pencil and crayon on paper composed of biomorphic shapes and deliberate lines. Mounted for 360-degree viewing, it allows audiences a unique opportunity to engage with these rarely exhibited illustrations. Drastically different from his earlier works, here Gorky relied less on inspiration from painters who came before him and more on his immediate surroundings and memories, engaging with Surrealist ideas of autonomous drawing and dream imagery. Centrally placed in the room, these drawings are in dialogue with the other objects to pay homage to Gorky’s fully realized method of organic forms and flowing lines.
Gorky’s work demonstrates an aptitude for navigating the zeitgeist of his time; through synthesizing surrealist, abstract, and modernist frameworks, he formulates an approach that was increasingly his own. By tracing his artistic development alongside his personal history, “Arshile Gorky: Redrawing Community and Connections” situates Gorky as a progenitor of Abstract Expressionism. Comprising generous loans from the Armenian diaspora, the exhibition reinforces that Gorky’s work has been sustained not solely by institutions, but by individuals who chose to steward his place in art history
“Arshile Gorky: Redrawing Community and Connections” is on view through April 26, 2026, at the Armenian Museum of America, 65 Main Street, Watertown, MA.
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The Armenian Genocide’s Warning for a Post-War Iran
April 7 2026
The Armenian Genocide’s Warning for a Post-War Iran
April 7, 2026
By: Stephan Pechdimaldji
The breakup of states in the Middle East is often accompanied by waves of ethnic or sectarian violence.
As the Iran War enters its sixth week, the world’s attention is understandably centered on the smoke rising above Tehran and the paralyzed shipping lanes of the Strait of Hormuz. With the Iranian regime facing an existential crisis and Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly incapacitated, the international community is already drafting blueprints for a “New Middle East.” However, if these plans ignore the century-old lessons of the Armenian Genocide, they risk repeating a cycle of ethnic erasure that could set the entire region ablaze.
To many, the 1915 Ottoman slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians feels like a distant historical footnote. But in the context of the 2026 Iran War, it is a living model for disaster.
The current conflict has already placed Armenia at a dangerous crossroads. With Azerbaijan and Turkey potentially looking to exploit a weakened Tehran, Armenia’s southern province of Syunik has become one of the most contested patches of land in Eurasia. For years, Azerbaijan and Turkey have lobbied for the “Zangezur Corridor,” a land bridge through Armenian territory that would physically connect the Turkic world.
Despite the Trump administration’s push for the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP)—which proposes a 99-year lease for a private US company to manage the transit route—there are no sufficient guarantees for Armenian sovereignty. Instead, it might enable the same predatory patterns that preceded the 1915 genocide, with the exploitation of a global conflict to rectify borders through the removal of indigenous populations.
We have seen this playbook before. In 2020, under the cover of a global pandemic and a US election, Azerbaijan launched an illegal war against Armenia that culminated in the forced displacement of more than 120,000 Armenians from their ancestral homeland of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023. If Syunik falls to an Azerbaijani-Turkish incursion under the cover of the chaos of an Iranian state collapse, the result might not just be a new road, but the ethnic cleansing of the last remaining Armenian stronghold in the region.
The central tragedy of modern Armenian history is how international silence greenlit further atrocities. In 1939, Adolf Hitler famously asked, “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” He understood that unpunished crimes are invitations to repeat them.
That is why increased international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, an event that Turkey and Azerbaijan both deny to this day, is not merely a symbolic gesture but rather a strategic deterrent. It sends a message to Baku and Ankara that the international community is finally watching. Official recognition transforms the Armenian border from a local dispute into a global human rights frontier.
What’s more, if Azerbaijan and Turkey are serious about regional stability and peace, then they must officially acknowledge the genocide (April 24, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, would be a fitting date). Anything short of full recognition, devoid of verbal gymnastics and euphemisms, should be viewed as a telltale sign of malicious intentions.
Furthermore, Iran itself is a mosaic of ethnicities, including a significant Armenian minority and a massive Azerbaijan population in the northwest. As the war threatens to fragment the Iranian state, the risk of internal cleansing or retaliatory ethnic violence mirrors the darkest days of Iraq and Syria in the 2000s and 2010s. A world that has fully reckoned with the Armenian Genocide is a world better equipped to monitor and prevent similar atrocities against the Kurds, Balochis, Arabs, Azeris, and Armenians within a destabilized Iran.
We cannot build a stable post-war order on a foundation of historical amnesia. If the goal of the current intervention in Iran is to bring peace and prosperity to the region—as the proposed Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity suggests—that peace must be grounded in the sanctity of existing borders and protection of vulnerable groups.
Recognizing the Armenian Genocide today is an act of preventive diplomacy. It tells survivors of the past and the potential victims of the future that the era of forgotten massacres is over. If we fail to acknowledge the ghosts of 1915 now, we are simply inviting them to haunt the ruins of 2026.
About the Author: Stephan Pechdimaldji
Stephan Pechdimaldji is a communications strategist living in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is a first-generation Armenian American and the grandson of survivors of the Armenian genocide. His work has been featured in Newsweek and Foreign Policy. You can follow him on X: @spechdimaldji.
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Armenpress: Saudi Arabia intercepts two drones
The Ministry of Defense of Saudi Arabia reported that in the past few hours it has neutralized two unmanned aerial vehicles.
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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Iranian drone strikes UAE telecommunications building
An Iranian drone attack damaged a telecommunications building in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates on Monday, according to the WAM news agency. The report said that no one was injured.
The attack targeted a building of the Du telecom company.
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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Six injured in Iranian attack on northern Kuwait
Kuwaiti authorities have announced that six people have been injured from falling projectiles and shrapnel on one of the residential areas north of the country after an Iranian attack.
Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported that emergency first-responders were immediately dispatched to the scene.
Earlier, Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense reported that in the past 24 hours, 9 ballistic missiles, 4 cruise missiles, and 31 drones were intercepted.
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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