Iran-Russia tensions: Tehran rebukes Kremlin for supporting Azerbaijan’s Zangezur corridor
Iranian President Pezeshkian and Russian leader Vladimir Putin
In a rare warning to its key ally, Iran has advised Russiaagainst siding with Azerbaijan over a border dispute between the two countries. Iranian Foreign Minister Sayeed Abbas Araghchi took to X to rebuke Russia after it backed Azerbaijan’s campaign for drawing a land corridor along the Armenia-Iran border.
“Regional peace, security and stability is not merely a preference, but a pillar of our national security. Any threat from north, south, east, or west to territorial integrity of our neighbours or redrawing of boundaries is totally unacceptable and a red line for Iran,” Araghchi wrote on the social media platform.
The statement shows that Iran’s new reformist government is willing to go down the untrodden path of standing up to Russia, a key economic and strategic ally.
Russia-Iran tensions
Concerns have long been raised in Tehran over deepening security ties with Moscow. Critics often highlight the diplomatic price that Iranhas to pay for backing Russia militarily and reportedly providing it with drones that have been used on the battlefield against Ukraine.
Iran earlier this week had summoned aRussian envoy and expressed its displeasure, saying it was not impressed with Moscow encouraging a dispute on its borders.
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Mohsen Rezaei, the former overall commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and the secretary of the Expediency Council, also condemned Russia’s “unacceptable” stance.
“The behaviour of Russian statesman was not acceptable and in clear contradiction with their declaration of friendship with Iran, These ambiguities should be resolved,” he was quoted as saying by the Guardian.
What is the Azerbaijani plan?
Iran is sensitive to Azerbaijani and Turkish plans to establish the “Zangezur corridor”, a transportation concept that is being gradually implemented to secure Azerbaijan's access to the Nakhchivan exclave by skipping Armenia.
Once materialised, the Zangezur corridor will cut off Iran’s direct land access to Armenia. Meanwhile, Ankara is also supporting it as it would act as a geopolitical link between Turkey and Azerbaijan as well as Central Asia.
(With inputs from agencies)