Latest news with #TrumpBridge
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Iran Warns US About 'Trump Bridge' Plan
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The foreign minister of Iran said that the country would react carefully to any plan or project that could limit its ability to use important routes or undermine its strategic interests, in a warning to the U.S. about the Zangezur corridor near Iran's northern border. Newsweek has contacted the U.S. State Department for comment. Why It Matters Dubbed the "Trump Bridge" and the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity," the corridor would link Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave via southern Armenia, after the two countries agreed to a U.S.-brokered peace deal. Iran and its ally Russia, which have welcomed the peace deal signed at the White House last week, worry that the transit route could shift regional influence, reduce their leverage and give the U.S. and Azerbaijan greater control over strategic transport and trade routes. President Donald Trump, center, shakes hands with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, right, and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, left, at a trilateral signing ceremony in the State Dining Room of the White House on August... President Donald Trump, center, shakes hands with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, right, and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, left, at a trilateral signing ceremony in the State Dining Room of the White House on August 8 in Washington, D.C. More Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo What To Know Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, said the newly proposed transport corridor "must not block Iran's ability to access other transit routes," according to Tasnim News Agency. His comments echoed those of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who emphasized the need to block foreign military or security presence in the corridor. Through a 99-year-lease agreement, the U.S. and its forces will gain access near Iran's East Azerbaijan province, while boosting American influence in the Russian-dominated South Caucasus. According to Vahan Kostanyan, Armenia's deputy foreign minister, the opening of new regional communication routes would boost Armenia-Iran railway cooperation, including via the Nakhchivan–Jolfa line, giving Iran access to Armenia and the Black Sea, he told Iranian media. What People Are Saying Araghchi, as quoted by Tasnim: "I emphasized once again that while the Islamic Republic of Iran supports the establishment of peace and stability in the relations among the neighboring states, it pays special attention to the maintenance of the region's geopolitical stability and its national interests, and will show special sensitivity to any plan or project that may restrict our country's access to routes or the fulfillment of its interests." Kostanyan, in an interview with Islamic Republic News Agency on Thursday: "It is important for us to hear the feedback and opinions of brotherly countries, especially Iran." Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, in a statement on August 9: "Involvement of actors outside the region should contribute to strengthening the peace agenda rather than create additional difficulties and dividing lines. It would be prudent to avoid repeating the counterproductive outcomes of Western conflict mediation in the Middle East." What Happens Next Armenia and Azerbaijan have yet to ratify the peace treaty.
Newsweek
7 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Iran Issues New Warning Over 'Trump Bridge'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Iran has warned its neighbor against welcoming the American military into its territory to develop a new U.S.-backed economic corridor dubbed the "Trump Bridge." Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told his Armenian counterpart on Monday that Washington may pursue hegemonic goals in the Caucasus under the guise of economic investment, Iranian state media reported on Monday, after U.S. President Donald Trump brokered peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan last week. Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department and Iran's Foreign Ministry for comment. Why It Matters The United States, Armenia and Azerbaijan reached an agreement on Friday to end decades of conflict in the South Caucasus. The deal grants an American consortium exclusive rights to develop and control a strategic land route known as the Zangezur corridor, which the White House is calling the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity." The corridor will link Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave through southern Armenia, but the proposed economic project has drawn sharp criticism from Tehran for its proximity to Iran's northern border and over the possibility of new U.S. military infrastructure appearing there. Although Iran's Foreign Ministry cautiously welcomed the peace accord between its northern neighbors, Pezeshkian's warning echoed a senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader a day earlier, who threatened to turn the area into a "a graveyard for the mercenaries of Donald Trump." What To Know In a call with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia, Pezeshkian emphasized the need to block foreign military or security presence in the corridor, according to a readout carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency. After Trump announced the peace deal last week, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said 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 corridor, an area that has historically seen a large Russian peacekeeping presence. The land corridor running through Armenia's Syunik province and bordering Iran's northern East Azerbaijan province is billed by the United States as a chance to boost regional trade and economic integration. It is expected to further enhance Baku's economic and strategic reach while reducing Iranian and Russian influence in the region. Iran's Foreign Ministry last week expressed "concern over the negative consequences of any form of foreign intervention, especially near its shared borders, that could undermine the security and lasting stability of the region." FILE - In this photo released by the Iranian Army on Aug. 25, 2022, a drone is launched from a warship in a military drone drill in Iran. As protests rage at home, Iran's theocratic... FILE - In this photo released by the Iranian Army on Aug. 25, 2022, a drone is launched from a warship in a military drone drill in Iran. As protests rage at home, Iran's theocratic government is increasingly flexing its military muscle abroad. That includes supplying drones to Russia that now kill Ukrainian civilians, running drills in a border region with Azerbaijan and bombing Kurdish positions in Iraq. More Iranian Army/AP Photo What People Are Saying Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian: "One must make sure that this route will be really the route of peace and development, not a tool for the realization of the hegemonic objectives of outsiders." White House spokesperson Anna Kelly: "The roadmap they are agreeing to will build a cooperative future that benefits both countries, their region of the South Caucasus and beyond." What Happens Next The deal is yet to be formally ratified and but political tensions may grow if the United States successfully increases its presence on Iran's doorstep.
