Iran Says It Won’t Oppose TRIPP if Armenia Keeps Full Control and U.S. Forces Stay Out

Iran has no objection to the U.S.-backed TRIPP project if it fully respects Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and does not lead to an American military or security presence in the region, Iran’s ambassador to Armenia said Tuesday.

Speaking at the APRI Forum 2026 in Yerevan, Ambassador Khalil Shirgholami laid out two conditions Tehran considers essential as plans move forward for the transit project through southern Armenia.

His first concern centered on Armenia’s control over its territory.

“Azerbaijani leaders still speak very openly and directly about the ‘Zangezur Corridor,’” Shirgholami said. “We are also clear that any geopolitical change or any harm to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia is unacceptable.”

He described that principle as Iran’s first condition for TRIPP.

The second, Shirgholami said, is that the project must not result in a U.S. military or security presence near Iran.

“Based on these two preconditions, we have no reason to oppose this project if it positively contributes to the development and well-being of the Armenian people,” he said.

Shirgholami also used his remarks to outline Iran’s broader view of security in the South Caucasus, where Tehran has repeatedly opposed changes to internationally recognized borders.

The ambassador said preserving the existing geopolitical order should form the basis for regional peace. Political declarations alone, he argued, are not enough. Lasting stability would also require a genuine balance of power, particularly between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Despite its concerns over TRIPP, Iran continues to support Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s “Crossroads of Peace” initiative and the reopening of regional transportation links.

Shirgholami said Armenia has the potential to become an important transit hub connecting the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean with the Black Sea.

The ambassador also addressed Armenia’s increasingly close relations with the West, acknowledging that Yerevan’s growing ties with the European Union and the United States present challenges for its partnership with Tehran.

Still, he said Iran wants to deepen its relationship with Armenia rather than scale it back.

“We plan to elevate relations between Iran and Armenia to the level of a strategic partnership and institutionalize our cooperation in the future,” Shirgholami said.

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