The Azerbaijan–Armenia peace agreement signed in Washington on August 8 has changed the balance of power in the South Caucasus. The signing of the document by President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the White House, mediated by US President Donald Trump, caused serious discontent in Moscow and Tehran.
Modern.az reports that the influential US publication "The National Interest" wrote about this.
The article notes that the US has become the main mediator in the region, while Russia and Iran have been squeezed out of the process. Moscow accused the West of “attempting to adapt the peace process to its own interests.” In Armenia, demands for the closure of the Russian military base have intensified.
Tehran's concern is mainly related to the Zangezur corridor project, called the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP). The project, which grants the US 99 years of development rights, could weaken Iran's influence in the region, as well as limit its ability to circumvent sanctions.
Furthermore, the agreement has strengthened the positions of Turkey and Israel in the region. The US publication writes that opponents of the agreement, including the Armenian diaspora organization in the US, are effectively repeating the arguments of Moscow and Tehran.
"The National Interest" concludes that the signed peace declaration, while increasing US influence in the South Caucasus, also revealed the relative weakness of Russia and Iran.
Elnur Amirov
