On February 28, the military operations carried out by the US and Israel in Iran further increased tensions in the region. Against the backdrop of these events, Iran launched air attacks on some Arab countries, as well as neighboring Turkey and Nakhchivan. Specifically, on March 5, Iran attacked Nakhchivan with 4 drones. As a result of the attack, an explosion occurred near Nakhchivan International Airport and around a school located in Shakarabad village.
As a result of the incident, 4 people were injured. This incident has once again brought to the forefront the issue of the security of Nakhchivan, which is geographically separated from the main part of Azerbaijan. On the other hand, the acceleration of the opening of the Zangazur corridor, aimed at resolving problems between Armenia and Azerbaijan, is also once again becoming a subject of discussion.
Regarding the issue, Modern.az contacted deputies.
Deputy Azay Guliyev stated that by resorting to such a provocation, Iran could completely deprive itself of regional cooperation:
“The terrorist act committed by Iran in Nakhchivan will have no impact on our peace agenda with Armenia. The fact that Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan called his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov to express his concern about the incident is clear proof of this.” “Azerbaijan has succeeded in turning peace in the South Caucasus into an irreversible process, and neither Iran nor Russia can stop this process. On the contrary, by allowing this provocation, Iran could completely deprive itself of regional cooperation opportunities. Following the incident, relevant instructions were given regarding the further strengthening of borders and transit issues, including the evacuation of employees of Azerbaijan's embassy and Consulate General in Iran. These are, for now, the first steps. Depending on Iran's subsequent behavior and the development of events, additional measures may also be taken,” A. Guliyev noted.
Deputy Javanshir Feyziyev stated that no war leaves the countries of the region unaffected:
“At a time when a large-scale war is ongoing in the neighborhood, border security is of particular importance. In fact, the Iranian government's targeting of regional states sharply reduces its defense capabilities. The air strikes on Nakhchivan are the actions of anti-Azerbaijani elements represented in the Iranian government, and they will have to answer for this.”
According to C. Feyziyev, President Ilham Aliyev's bringing the Armed Forces to a state of combat readiness is a sign of preparation for retaliatory measures. Azerbaijan possesses all necessary means and military-technical capabilities to punish the aggressor, and appropriate steps will be taken if such a necessity arises.
The events taking place in our region demonstrate how essential peace is:
“The events occurring in the region, especially the drone attacks on Nakhchivan, will not have any negative impact on the opening of the Zangazur corridor or the progress of the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In such circumstances, Armenia should draw conclusions from the aggressive and treacherous actions of the Iranian regime, which it considers its strategic partner, and accelerate the peace process. For this, the conditions put forward by Azerbaijan must be fulfilled as soon as possible.”
Elman Nasirov stated in his comments to our website that Nakhchivan, where the incident occurred, is geographically separated from the main territory of Azerbaijan, and the activation of the Zangazur corridor is intended to establish a direct connection between the main part of the country and the autonomous republic. In this regard, the opening of the Nakhchivan corridor takes on special importance against the backdrop of Iran's recent terroristic actions.
“I believe that Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan's call to Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov once again demonstrated that Azerbaijan and Armenia are interested in the peace process. The probability of signing a peace agreement in 2026 is quite high,” he said.
E. Nasirov noted that Iran's attack on Azerbaijani territory once again showed that the process related to the activation of the Zangazur corridor should be further accelerated.
“Iran has always approached this issue from a different perspective and presented it as a “red line” for itself. Recent events also show that the attitude towards this issue in Iranian government circles is currently quite harsh and hostile.
The US is actively cooperating with various countries in this direction. However, Iran still finds it difficult to accept the implementation of this project, which could also be beneficial for itself.”
Member of the Milli Majlis, Doctor of Political Sciences Rizvan Nabiyev, emphasized that the recent events cannot hinder the implementation of the Zangazur corridor project:
“The Zangazur corridor is a strategically important project on an international scale. The Joint Declaration signed during the Peace Summit held in Washington on August 8 last year also emphasized the inter-country and international importance of the Trump route. This project not only connects the western regions of Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan region but also holds intercontinental significance. It connects Central Asia and China with Turkey and European countries. The US also participates in and invests in the implementation of this project at the presidential level. No force can prevent the implementation of this project. Because this project serves peace, security, stability, and confidence-building in the region. It is even in the interests of states currently in a state of war. Nevertheless, the existence of certain potential risks in the current situation is not denied. Because there is a war in our southern neighbor. However, no obstacle, no intervention can hinder the realization of the Zangazur corridor.”
The deputy emphasized that the realization of the Zangazur corridor as soon as possible is now even more urgent and important than before. “Azerbaijan is interested in ensuring a land connection with Nakhchivan not only via the land route passing through Iran but also via the Trump route from Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur. Furthermore, there is a great need to establish a land connection between Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan region and Europe via Turkey. Currently, the land route to Nakhchivan passes through Iranian territory, but as Iran is currently in a state of war, there are serious stability and security problems.”
“Azerbaijan has initialed a peace agreement with Armenia, and a state of peace effectively exists. Both sides are extremely interested in preserving this peace and strengthening it with various projects. Dialogue is being conducted with Armenia at various levels. In this regard, the realization of the Zangazur corridor extending to Nakhchivan via Armenia, in other words, its Trump route segment, is extremely important. This project, which has a stabilizing function on a regional scale, is in the interest of both states,” the deputy concluded.
It should be noted that the Zangazur corridor is a transport and communication line intended to connect the western regions of Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. This corridor aims to establish a direct land connection between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan by passing through Armenian territory.
The opening of the corridor, in addition to restoring Azerbaijan's internal transport links, also holds significant geopolitical and economic importance for the region. Through this route, Azerbaijan will gain a direct connection with Nakhchivan, and at the same time, the land transport link with Turkey will be further strengthened. Furthermore, the Zangazur corridor can change the logistical map of the region by creating new trade and transit opportunities in the South Caucasus.
