Velayati says ‘Trump plan’ for Caucasus mirrors Zangezur corridor

Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, said the so-called “Trump plan” for the Caucasus is effectively the same as the Zangezur corridor project, adding that Tehran is firmly opposed to it.

Velayati made the remarks during a meeting in Tehran on Monday with Armenia’s ambassador, Grigor Hakobyan, where the two sides discussed recent regional and international developments, particularly in the South Caucasus.

He said Iran had opposed the Zangezur corridor from the outset as Tehran rejects any changes to regional borders and is wary of threats to its surrounding security environment.

He argued that the corridor could have enabled a NATO presence north of Iran, posing serious security risks to northern Iran and southern Russia. He added that the “Trump plan” is effectively the same project, with only its name changed, and is now being pursued through the entry of US companies into Armenia.

Velayati said that the United States has a history of entering sensitive regions through projects presented as economic initiatives, but that such involvement gradually expanded into military and security dimensions.

Ambassador Hakobyan, for his part, described relations with Iran as strategic and said expanding ties with Tehran was a top priority of Armenia’s foreign policy.