Tehran Vows to Protect Armenian-Iranian Ties

Just one day before Iran launched joint military drills with Azerbaijan near the Armenian border, a top Iranian official reaffirmed Tehran’s deep commitment to its relationship with Armenia. The timing of these back-to-back events has left many in Yerevan confused and concerned.

On May 18, during high-level meetings in Tehran, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, assured Armenia’s Security Council chief Armen Grigoryan that Iran “will not allow anyone to undermine its relations with Armenia.” He described the partnership between the two countries as strategic, and pledged to strengthen cooperation without restrictions, calling it essential for regional peace and stability. Ahmadian also warned that unnamed "outside powers" were attempting to disrupt peace in the South Caucasus.

Grigoryan’s visit to Iran included talks with newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. In those meetings, Grigoryan emphasized that Armenia’s growing ties with Iran are not influenced by external actors—a reference to speculation that Western pressure could pull Yerevan away from Tehran.

Despite the warm diplomatic language, the Iranian-Azerbaijani military exercises—launched under the name “Araz-2025”—began just 24 hours later. This raised immediate red flags in Armenia, especially given the drills’ proximity to the southern province of Syunik, which borders both Iran and Azerbaijan. The area remains a flashpoint in the region, with Azerbaijan and Turkey pushing for a so-called “Zangezur corridor” that would cut through Syunik and connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhijevan exclave and on to Turkey

President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan has repeatedly threatened to use force if Armenia refuses the corridor. In contrast, Iran has long voiced opposition to any project that would alter regional borders or cut off its access to Armenia—positions reaffirmed as recently as March by Foreign Minister Araghchi.

But now, with Iranian troops appearing alongside Azerbaijani forces in an area that was ethnically cleansed of Armenians less than two years ago, observers worry that Iran may be shifting its stance—or playing both sides to protect its own strategic interests.

Armenia’s government has not yet made an official statement about the “Araz-2025” drills, but political analysts, civil society groups, and members of the diaspora are increasingly vocal. Many argue that Tehran’s military partnership with Azerbaijan contradicts its stated commitment to Armenian sovereignty and regional stability.

“If Iran truly values its strategic partnership with Armenia, then it must act like it,” one Armenian analyst said. “Sending troops into formerly Armenian-populated regions while claiming friendship is not just mixed messaging—it’s dangerous.”

Still, some remain hopeful that Tehran is merely hedging its bets, and that its core positions—particularly opposition to the Zangezur corridor and support for regional sovereignty—will hold firm.