Ali Akbar Velayati, an international affairs adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, has issued a new warning to Armenia over the TRIPP transit project, saying Tehran considers any crossing of its “red line” on the Zangezur corridor unacceptable.
Velayati set out the position in an article published by the Iranian newspaper Ettelaat after action by Armenia’s parliament concerning the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, or TRIPP, Vesti Baku reported.
The Iranian official said Yerevan’s actions conflicted with the interests of Armenian society and argued that Tehran viewed security in the South Caucasus as its responsibility, with or without Russian participation.
Velayati said he discussed the issue with Armenia’s deputy foreign minister and its ambassador in Tehran. According to his account, the ambassador was given a blunt warning that if the United States and its allies tried to cross Iran’s “red line,” “we will break their legs.”
He also accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government of becoming increasingly dependent on U.S., French and British policy and said this could increase regional tensions. Those assertions represent Velayati’s position and are not independently established facts.
TRIPP is intended to connect mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan through Armenia. Baku views the reopening of the route as a central part of regional transport connectivity. Tehran has repeatedly opposed any arrangement that it believes could alter borders or restrict Iran’s connection with Armenia.