EU launches Armenia mission over fears of Russia vote meddling

Garnik Zakarian
Arab News
April 21 2026
  • Today, ministers agreed to establish a new EU civilian mission for Armenia,” Kallas said
  • “When Armenians go to the polls in June, they alone should choose their future“

LUXEMBOURG: The EU on Tuesday established a mission to help Armenia tackle foreign interference, as Russia is suspected of conducting a growing wave of disinformation ahead of June elections.
The vote comes at a pivotal time for the south Caucasus nation, as it looks to reorientate its foreign policy away from long-standing ally Moscow toward the West.
“Today, ministers agreed to establish a new EU civilian mission for Armenia. It will strengthen the country’s resilience against massive disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks,” EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said after a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers.
“When Armenians go to the polls in June, they alone should choose their future.”
Armenia is set to host its first-ever summit with the European Union’s top officials next month, before welcoming leaders from across the continent for a gathering of the European Political Community.
Russia’s influence across the former Soviet Union has been strained since its invasion of Ukraine, which has spooked many of the countries that were for decades ruled by Moscow.
Armenia is formally an ally of Russia but has suspended its participation in a regional security pact over allegations Moscow did not come to its aid in its conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan.
Armenia’s foreign intelligence service said in a report this year that large-scale “malign information operations by external actors” were under way, including the circulation of false information and conspiracy theories aimed at “influencing” the elections.
Analysts are in little doubt about where the campaigns come from and accuse Moscow of seeking to prevent Armenia’s attempt to bolster its ties with the West.

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‘Church cannot be a state within a state’: issue included in Armenia’s ruling

Karapet Navasardian
JAM News
April 21 2026
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

For a second day in a row, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has been reading out and commenting on individual points of his party’s election programme in a live broadcast. Among other issues, the Civil Contract party programme addresses the reform of the Church.

Under the ruling party’s plans, the “de facto head of the Church”, as Pashinyan’s team refers to the Catholicos, should step down.

“We are appealing to the people, because, yes, the Church is first of all the people, and elections are, in essence, a form of judicial process. The people, as the main source of legitimacy and rule of law, act as the judge. The people must deliver a fair verdict in the upcoming elections,” Pashinyan said, explaining why the issue of removing Garegin II was included in the programme.

He stressed that the Church in Armenia is separate from the state, but cannot operate outside it.

“Moreover, the Church cannot be a state within a state. This is absolutely unacceptable,” the prime minister said.

The Holy See has already condemned the party’s election programme. It said the ruling political force is making “unlawful campaign promises” to continue its actions against the Church.

Further details include what other provisions related to the Church appear in the programme, how Nikol Pashinyan comments on them, and how the Church responds.

  • Young man who tried to hit Pashinyan in a church released from detention
  • ‘Armenian Apostolic Church does not serve foreign powers’: bishops meet in Austria
  • Pashinyan absent from Etchmiadzin protest calling for removal of Catholicos Karekin II

“The Church must be removed from politics”

The Civil Contract party’s election programme sets out key priorities for 2026–2031. It says that “renewing the Armenian Apostolic Church is a vital necessity”.

The party argues that the actions of the “de facto leadership of the Church” in recent years have distanced believers from the Church, and continue to do so. It describes this as “an issue of spiritual security”:

“This has allowed external forces to try to turn the Armenian Apostolic Church into a stronghold of hybrid warfare against Armenia’s independence and sovereignty.”

The programme outlines the following plan:

  • removal of the de facto head of the Church;
  • appointment of a locum tenens;
  • adoption of a Church statute that preserves centuries-old traditions, while ensuring financial transparency and proper conduct of the clergy;
  • election of a new Catholicos.

The document states that Armenia is a secular state and that religious organisations are separate from it. Party representatives say they respect freedom of religion and belief for all citizens. They argue that the proposed reforms “serve the full restoration of constitutional order in Armenia”. According to the ruling party, this requires removing the Church from politics.

Pashinyan: ‘The reform agenda is not against the Church‘

The prime minister says the ongoing process does not target the Church, but aims to support it.

“The Church is, first and foremost, the community of believers — the people, the congregation. Yes, the clergy are part of the Church, but the clergy are not the Church; the Church is the people,” he said.

Pashinyan also said that the parliamentary elections due in June would serve as a “judicial process” assessing the performance of the ruling majority and other political forces.

“Citizens must answer the question: to what extent is it acceptable to them that Ktrich Nersisyan [the Catholicos’s secular name] has for a long time turned the Church into a political party?”

The prime minister said the Church now formally engages in political activity. He said it delivers political messaging instead of spiritual sermons. He also argued that clergy have repeatedly crossed legal boundaries, and continue to do so, “with all the ensuing consequences.”

Response from the Mother See of Etchmiadzin: ‘This violates the Church’s right to self-governance‘

After the ruling party published its election programme, the Mother See issued a statement condemning what it described as “unacceptable provisions” concerning the Church.

It described the reform agenda, the revision of the Church statute, the removal of the Catholicos of All Armenians and plans for new elections as “coercion”. The clergy said the proposed reforms violate constitutional order, the Church’s right to self-governance, and fundamental international principles of freedom of conscience and religion.

Church representatives also said that “the mission of the Church, its sacred traditions and spiritual life” must not become a subject of political speculation:

“The election of the Catholicos and any reforms within the Church hierarchy fall exclusively within the spiritual and canonical sphere and are therefore outside the jurisdiction of political parties and state bodies.”

Context

Pashinyan has repeatedly raised the issue of removing the Catholicos over an extended period. He initially said that Garegin II could not lead the Church because he had allegedly broken his vow of celibacy and has a daughter. He later put forward another accusation, claiming links between the Patriarch and foreign intelligence services:

“I do not need a Catholicos who will be subordinate to me. I need a Catholicos who will not be subordinate to a senior lieutenant of a foreign intelligence service and will not report daily to officers of a foreign intelligence service.”

The prime minister made a similar allegation about Garegin II’s brother. Archbishop Ezras Nersisyan heads the Russian and New Nakhichevan Diocese. In December 2025, the pro-government website civic.am published a document. It said the document showed that the Patriarch’s brother had cooperated with the Soviet KGB. He allegedly used the codename “Karo”.

However, Armenia’s National Security Service declined to provide journalists with information.
The request concerned alleged links between Garegin II, Archbishop Ezras and foreign intelligence agencies. In response, the agency said the information is classified. It said operational and intelligence data counts as a state secret.

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Azerbaijan protested to Belgium and the Netherlands over resolutions on Armeni

Markos Nalchajian
Logos Press, Moldova
April 21 2026
Azerbaijan protested to Belgium and the Netherlands over resolutions on Armenia 

Azerbaijan’s relations with Belgium and the Netherlands have found themselves in a zone of high turbulence. Official Baku accused Brussels and Amsterdam of interfering in internal affairs after European parliamentarians adopted resolutions on the release of detained persons whom the Azerbaijani side considers war criminals, as well as on the continuation of the EU observation mission in Armenia. 

21 April 2026 Svetlana Rudenko

The resolutions were adopted on April 16, and on April 20, the Belgian and Dutch ambassadors to Azerbaijan, Julien de Frépon and Marian de Jong, were separately summoned to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. Both of them were protested. The documents adopted by the Belgian and Dutch parliaments are regarded by the Azerbaijani side as “another irresponsible attempts to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, as well as the ongoing peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia”,” 1news.az writes. 

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry called on the Belgian and Dutch sides “to take effective measures to prevent damage to bilateral relations by anti-Azerbaijani groups in their parliaments”.

Reaction of Milli Majlis 

Milli Majlis has also spoken out on the issue, AzerTag reports. The parliament’s statement said the documents “distort the history and consequences of the conflict that existed between Azerbaijan and Armenia.”

 “Presenting persons, whose commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity was proven in a transparent and open legal process, as ‘prisoners of war’ and demanding their release is first of all an attack on the norms of international law, human rights and the rule of law, which are referred to in the mentioned documents,” the Azerbaijani MPs’ statement reads. 

Milli Majlis demanded from the parliaments of Belgium and the Netherlands “to put an end to the campaign of hatred against Azerbaijan and steps that strike a blow to the efforts to strengthen peace in the region”.

The resolution was adopted “at a critical moment” 

The resolutions concerning the situation in the South Caucasus were adopted by the Belgian House of Representatives and the Dutch House of Representatives almost simultaneously. The parliamentarians demanded that Azerbaijan immediately release the former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh and others detained since the events of 2023. They also expressed “deep concern” about the preservation of Armenian monuments in Karabakh. The Dutch document mentions the possibility of revising some aspects of the energy and economic partnership with Baku if “human rights and international law are not respected”. 

According to Belgian MP Michel de Magda, the new resolution was adopted “at a crucial moment for Armenia.” The country will host two major European summits in the coming weeks, and parliamentary elections are approaching.

Institutionalization of Peace 

The scandal erupted amid progress in relations between Baku and Yerevan. In early 2026, at a summit in Washington, the parties reached an agreement in principle on 90% of the text of the peace treaty. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev were even honored with the Human Brotherhood Award. 

There were no comments from Armenian officials on the resolutions, however, according to Armenpress, during the presentation of the election program of the ruling Civil Contract party, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that business ties between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be established in the near future, which will be one of the most important means and tools for institutionalizing peace between the two countries.

https://logos-pres.md/en/news/azerbaijan-protested-to-belgium-and-the-netherlands-over-resolutions-on-armenia/

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Turkish Press: Pashinyan says Armenia closing Karabakh chapter to advance peac

Garnik Zakarian
Hurriyet, Turkey
April 21 2026
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia should leave debates over the past behind as he set out his ruling Civil Contract party’s pre-election program and assessed the current stage of relations with Azerbaijan.

Pashinyan said arguments about who once lived where should no longer shape policy and added that Armenia was closing the Karabakh issue.

“We will no longer delve into who once lived where. We are closing the Karabakh issue. Only in this way can we achieve peace,” he said.

Pashinyan said concrete mechanisms were needed to make peace lasting and added that such a process had already begun.

He said the implementation of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), which is intended to link mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan through Armenian territory, as well as the signing and ratification of a peace agreement, would be key steps in giving the process a more institutional basis.

He also said contacts between civil society and business representatives, bilateral trade, and political, cultural and humanitarian dialogue would play an important role in strengthening peace, adding that his party would encourage and support steps in those areas.

Pashinyan also said Armenia would continue to pursue constructive, mutually beneficial relations with Russia.

He said ties between the two countries had largely been shaped by the Karabakh process, but that a new period was now beginning.

Saying the conflict environment had ended and that peace had been established, Pashinyan added that relations with Russia should also be adjusted to what he described as the new realities.

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Sustainable Peace Between Azerbaijan And Armenia Will Contribute To Greater Pr

Badalian Vardan
MENAFN
April 21 2026
(MENAFN– Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan April 21. Sustainable peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia will contribute to a greater predictability in the South Caucasus, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania, Ferit Hoxha said in an exclusive interview with Trend on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

“First of all, we are happy that peace has prevailed. So, in this respect, any credible progress in strengthening long-term peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia is a positive development, as it strengthens stability and development in a region known for its strategic importance for energy, connectivity, and broader European security. Sustainable peace will contribute to greater regional predictability, improve the climate for cooperation, and strengthen connectivity corridors between Europe and the wider Eurasian space.

It is therefore essential that this progress be consolidated through the full and consistent implementation of the agreements reached. Lasting peace requires not only political commitment at the highest level, but also sustained efforts to build trust, ensure transparency, and establish effective mechanisms for dispute resolution and regional cooperation. Without these elements, progress risks remaining fragile and reversible,” he noted.

Hoxha pointed out that from the Albanian viewpoint, stability in the Caucasus carries implications that extend well beyond the region itself.

“It is closely linked to Europe’s energy diversification efforts, the resilience of key transport and trade routes, and the broader security architecture of the continent. In this context, peace in the Caucasus should be understood not only as a regional objective, but as a strategic contribution to Europe’s overall stability, resilience, and long-term prosperity,” the Albanian minister added.

On August 8, 2025, following a trilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint declaration on ensuring peace between Baku and Yerevan and establishing transport links between the main part of Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan. This project is called “Trump’s Route to International Peace and Prosperity.”

During the meeting, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan initialed the draft “Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia” and signed a joint appeal by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia to the OSCE Chairman-in-Office (on the closure of the OSCE Minsk Process, Personal Representative OSCE Chairman-in-Office on the conflict discussed by the Minsk Conference, and High-level Planning Groups).

MENAFN21042026000187011040ID1111008659

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Yerevan says Azerbaijan hindering normalisation with Turkey

Eduard Nalbandian
OC Media
April 21 2026

Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Alen Simonyan has said that the continued closure of the Armenia–Turkey land border has been influenced by Azerbaijan ‘through its lobbying and influence’ in Turkey.

Speaking to Armenian media in Istanbul on the sidelines of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting, Simonyan claimed that Azerbaijan was preventing Turkey from negotiating with Armenia.

‘On the one hand, [Azerbaijan] is negotiating with us, and on the other hand, it is not allowing Turkey to negotiate with us. This is a strange situation. Turkey seems to be a prisoner of these relations’, Simonyan said, according to Agos.

Asked if Ankara was waiting for the outcome of Armenia’s June parliamentary election before going into deeper talks with Yerevan, Simonyan said that he was unsure.

‘Initially, it was said that the border would not be opened until the Nagorno-Karabakh issue was resolved. Then they declared that the Karabakh issue was resolved. Then they brought up the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace agreement. We negotiated the agreement; it was a difficult and lengthy process, but we agreed on 17 points, met to initial it, shook hands, and it still didn’t work out’, Simonyan said.

Armenia and Azerbaijan initialled the peace deal in Washington in August 2025 after agreeing on the text in March of that year. It remains unsigned, with Azerbaijan pushing for amendments to the Armenian Constitution, claiming it contained territorial claims against it.

Although Armenia has officially expressed its intention to change the constitution, it insists that it would not be doing so based on Azerbaijan’s demands. Yerevan declared its intention to hold a referendum on a new constitution after the parliamentary elections.

Yerevan says release of Armenian prisoners key to ‘genuine reconciliation’ with Baku

‘When I speak with my Turkish colleagues, I realise that they don’t have much to say either; there are no discussions’, Simonyan said.

He further expressed belief that ‘in the near future we will see the border opened and diplomatic relations established’. Simonyan also added that ‘everything has been done on both sides’.

This year, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Special Envoy Ruben Rubinyan sat out the Antalya Diplomacy Forum taking place 17–19 April, in which they have participated since 2022. Instead, Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan attended the forum.

The Foreign Ministry has declined to comment on the decision to send a lower level delegation. In the scope of the forum, previously, the normalisation process was discussed between Armenia and Turkey.

‘We made this diplomatic decision’, Simonyan commented on Mirzoyan and Rubinyan’s absence, according to Agos.

According to Nor Marmara, Simonathan further added that the ball was in the court of Turkey and that the Armenian side had nothing to add, and instead expected ‘clear steps’ from Turkey.

Earlier, in his speech at the IPU, Simonyan stated that ‘peace has prevailed in our region, marking a truly monumental achievement’, and added that Armenia’s vision ‘is grander’ and included inviting Turkey to take part in regional peace efforts.

‘To this end, we are eager to deepen our relationship with Türkiye’, Simonyan said.

Armenia and Turkey have been engaged in a renewed normalisation process since 2022, including meetings of special envoys on normalisation at their shared border and in their respective capitals. However, diplomatic relations have not yet been established, and the land border remains closed.

In 2022, the sides agreed to allow third-country nationals and diplomats to cross the land border, but Turkey has since stated that progress in the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process is a precondition for further achievements in the normalisation process with Armenia. Turkey originally closed the border in 1993 during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.

The latest developments came in December 2025, when Armenia and Turkey announced they would ‘simplify’ the visa procedure for diplomatic, special, and service passport holders as of 1 January 2026.

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US senators appeal to Meta, Google to ‘counter Russian disinformation’ in Arm

Markos Nalchajian
OC Media
April 21 2026
by Nate Ostiller

A bipartisan group of US senators have written letters to Meta and Alphabet, Google’s parent company, asking the tech giants to work to ‘counter Russian disinformation’ in the runup to Armenia’s parliamentary elections. The letters thanked the companies for actions to combat similar Russian-backed moves in Moldova’s 2025 election, and said ‘Russia is updating its playbook from Moldova’ to sway Armenia’s election.

The letters published on Monday were written on behalf of the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, along with Senator Thom Tillis, and addressed directly to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.

Over the past year, both Armenia and the EU have repeatedly warned that Russia and other countries are upping their efforts to influence the parliamentary elections scheduled for June. The EU has also said it is sending teams to Armenia to help combat Russian-backed disinformation.

Armenian fact-checkers have also reported an increasing amount of disinformation coming from foreign sources, some traced back to Russia, including content attempting to discredit the current authorities and their policies.

In the letter addressed to Zuckerberg, the senators said ‘elections are pivotal for determining Armenia’s future, as they are likely to determine the outcome of regional peace initiatives and connectivity projects, including the flagship Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a key component of peace talks’ between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Both letters cited findings from the Armenian civil society group the Union of Informed Citizens as saying that Meta and Alphabet platforms are being used to spread ‘manipulative content’ about the election.

In addition, the letter to Zuckerberg noted the same group had documented ‘coordinated inauthentic behaviour reportedly directed by a Russian-Armenian oligarch listed by the first Trump Administration in a statutorily required report to Congress as a “significant senior foreign political figure [or] oligarch in the Russian Federation, as determined by their closeness to the Russian regime” ’.

While the letter did not mention who the individual was by name, it almost certainly was referring to Russian-Armenian tycoon Samvel Karapetyan, who is currently under house arrest for allegedly calling for a coup against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government and money laundering. Despite his criminal charges and Armenian law preventing him from being eligible for prime minister, Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia party is the strongest competitor of Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party in the upcoming election.

Indeed, Karapetyan’s name had appeared on the list of key oligarchs along with a number of other Russian-linked businesspeople back in 2018, during President Donald Trump’s first term.

The letters concluded by saying, ‘while the United States must remain impartial in its views about the results of Armenia’s democratic process, we cannot turn a blind eye when we see a foreign power attempt to impose its will on the Armenian people’.

‘If these efforts use platforms based in the jurisdiction of the United States, our responsibility is even greater to mitigate and prevent such efforts’.

The letters then ‘urged’ both Meta and Alphabet to ‘help ensure that Armenia’s elections remain free and fair’.

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Dutch and Belgian resolutions on Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan trigger outr

Adrine Hakobian
OC Media
April 21 2026
by Aytan Farhadova

The Belgium and Dutch parliaments adopted resolutions which also included imprisoned Armenian prisoners in Baku on 16 April,  resulting in condemnations from the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry and the summoning of both countries’ ambassadors on Monday.

The resolution which was adopted in Brussels by the Belgian Parliament contains 10 requests for the federal government.

The document stipulated that Azerbaijan should respect the principles of sovereignty and integrity and retreat from ‘the occupied border territories of Armenia, covering an area of over 200 square kilometers’.

According to the local Armenian media, since 2021 Azerbaijan has occupied ‘more than 200 square kilometers of Armenia’s internationally recognised territory in the regions of Syunik, Vayots Dzor, and Gegharkunik’.

The resolution also calls other EU members ‘to urge Azerbaijan to finally sign the peace agreement initiated with Armenia as announced on 13 March 2025’.

The resolution addressed the situation of Armenian prisoners in Baku and demanded that the Azerbaijani government ensure their access to transparent and fair trials as a ‘gesture of goodwill’.

A separate resolution adopted by the Dutch Parliament condemned the ‘deplorable conditions’ in which the former leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenian prisoners of war were being kept in Azerbaijan. It has also called for their release.

These resolutions were assessed by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry ‘as a reckless attempt to undermine Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty’.

It decried what it called ‘utterly biased and unfounded assessments’ of Azerbaijan, including ‘baseless accusations alleging violations of Armenia’s territorial integrity, the rights of ethnic Armenians, and claims regarding the so-called unlawful detention of persons of Armenian origin were strongly and resolutely rejected’’.

The ambassadors were urged not to damage the bilateral relations and to curb anti-Azerbaijani sentiments in their respective parliaments.

The Azerbaijani Parliament similarly condemned the resolutions on Monday, calling them ‘one-sided and biased’.

‘These documents, which distort the history and results of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia and stem from the unhealthy and racist imagination of traditional anti-Azerbaijani and Islamophobic circles, constitute a gross violation of international law and the rule of law, as well as a provocation against the ongoing and important peace process in the region’, the parliament said.

Noting that the Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentary speakers had recently met in Istanbul, the Azerbaijani Parliament said the Dutch and Belgian resolutions ‘clearly demonstrate that the “initiators” of these documents are far removed from the real state of affairs in the region’.

‘Their true intention is not to promote peace and dialogue, but to incite hostility and revenge’.

Furthermore, the Azerbaijani Parliament said the Armenian prisoners in question had committed ‘war crimes and crimes against humanity’ and that their crimes had been proven in a ‘transparent and open trial’.

Azerbaijan sentences most former Nagorno-Karabakh leaders to life in prison

The Azerbaijani Parliament demanded that the Belgian and Dutch parliaments ‘end the hate campaign against Azerbaijan and steps that undermine efforts to strengthen peace in the region’.

The Azerbaijani pro-government media Caliber cited political analyst Ilgar Velizade as saying these resolutions would not bear fruit.

‘In the end, all of them remained without practical implementation, but they continue to stir certain circles and stimulate new anti-Azerbaijani campaigns’, Velizade said.

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Armenpress: US seizes Iranian cargo ship, Tehran vows to retaliate

Jalatian Sonya
Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Concerns grew on Monday that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran might not hold after the U.S. said it had seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to ‌run its blockade and Iran vowed to retaliate, Reuters reported.

The US president wrote on his Truth Social platform that the ship, called Touska, was seized by the US Navy after failing to respond to a warning to stop. Iran said it was a violation of the ceasefire and it would retaliate soon for the “act of armed piracy”.

The U.S. has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has lifted and then reimposed its own blockade on marine traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. military said it fired on the Iranian-flagged cargo ship headed towards Iran’s Bandar Abbas port on Sunday after a six-hour standoff, disabling its engines. The ship was reportedly intercepted in the waters of the Sea of Oman.

U.S. marines then rappelled from helicopters onto the vessel, U.S. Central Command said.

“We have ⁠full custody of their ship, and are seeing what’s on board!” President Trump wrote on social media.

Iran’s military said the ship had been traveling from China. “We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy by the U.S. military,” Reuters quoted an Iranian military spokesperson as saying.

Iranian state media reported that Tehran had rejected new peace talks, citing the ongoing blockade, threatening rhetoric, and Washington’s shifting positions and “excessive demands.”

Trump earlier warned Iran that the U.S. would destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran if Tehran rejected his terms, continuing a recent pattern of such threats.

Iran has said that if the United States were to attack its civilian infrastructure it would hit power stations and desalination plants of Gulf Arab ‌neighbors.

Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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Global fuel price stability depends on ending pressure on Iran, says Tehran

Markos Nalchajian
Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Iran’s Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref has said that stability in global fuel prices depends on a guaranteed and lasting end to the “economic and military pressure” against the Islamic Republic.

“The security of the Strait of Hormuz is not free. One cannot restrict Iran’s oil exports while expecting free security for others. The choice is clear: either a free oil market for all, or the risk of significant costs for everyone. Stability in global fuel prices depends on a guaranteed and lasting end to the economic and military pressure against Iran and its allies,” Aref said in a statement on X.

Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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