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Iran has warned its neighbors against allowing the American military into their territories to develop a new U.S.-backed economic corridor known as the “Trump Bridge.” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Armenian President Nikol Pashinyan on Monday that Washington might pursue hegemonic goals in the Caucasus under the guise of economic investment, according to Iranian state media. This warning came after U.S. President Donald Trump brokered a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan last week.
The United States, Armenia, and Azerbaijan reached an agreement on Friday to end decades of conflict in the South Caucasus. The deal grants exclusive rights to develop and control a strategic land route called the Zangezur corridor, which the White House is calling the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.” This corridor will link Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave through southern Armenia.
Tehran has criticized this project for its proximity to Iran’s northern border and the possibility of new U.S. military infrastructure in the area. Although Iran’s Foreign Ministry cautiously welcomed the peace accord, Pezeshkian emphasized the need to block foreign military or security presence along the corridor during a call with Pashinyan.
In response to Trump’s announcement, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said that the new route would respect “Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” and its people. The agreement prohibits the deployment of foreign military forces along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border or in the Zangezur corridor, which historically has seen a large Russian peacekeeping presence.
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The land corridor running through Armenia’s Syunik province and bordering Iran’s northern East Azerbaijan province is expected to boost regional trade and economic integration. However, it may further enhance Baku’s economic and strategic reach while reducing Iranian and Russian influence in the region.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry expressed concern over “any form of foreign intervention” that could undermine security and lasting stability near its borders. Pezeshkian emphasized during the call with Pashinyan the need to block any foreign military or security presence along the corridor.
A photo from an Iranian military drone drill illustrates Iran’s growing military assertiveness, both domestically amid ongoing protests and internationally as it flexes its muscles in border regions like those with Azerbaijan.
