A border checkpoint on the Iran-Armenia border in Meghri
Rejects a “Corridor” to Nakhichevan through Armenia
A prominent Iranian lawmaker on Friday slammed efforts by “third parties,” including Turkey against efforts to impose changes on the border between Iran and Armenia.
Speaking with the IRIB television channel, Shariar Harydari, the deputy head of the Iranian Parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, said that Iran and Armenia don need advice from “any third party, including Turkey” about border issues.
This comes days after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the presidents of Turkey and Russia, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, against blocking the Iran-Armenia border, during meetings the chief cleric held with the two leaders on Tuesday in Tehran.
“As stated by the spiritual leader, the Islamic Republic of Iran will not allow the border between Iran and Armenia to be blocked,” Heydari emphasized.
“Iran has always believed that the two countries should settle the [Karabakh] issue through political means,” Heydari told Iran’s IRIB television channel. “Some forces outside the region want to create a corridor leading to Nakhichevan through the territory of Armenia in order to marginalize Iran, but Armenia and Iran emphasize that the territorial integrity of the countries of the region must be preserved.”
“We have a shared 47-kilometer border with Armenia, part of which is the border of the Arax River, and we will not allow any damage to those borders. The border of Iran and Armenia has always been safe, both countries strive for its security and prevent any illegal traffic and border encroachment, and we do not need the advice of any third party, including Turkey,” Shahriar Heydari stated.
Ayatollah Khamenei’s representatives reiterated his terse warning against efforts to block the Iran-Armenia border during Friday prayers throughout the country.
The IRNA new agency reported that during Friday prayer in Tehran, Imam Mohammad Hossein Abdutorabifard said: “At the meeting with the President of Turkey, the Spiritual Leader also touched on the communication path between Armenia and Iran. Iran is very sensitive to regional changes and will not allow damage to the road that is thousands of years old and is one of the factors of strength, security and peace of the peoples of the region.”
Mohammad Ali Ale Hashem, Khamanei’s representative in Iran’s Azerbaijan region and the Imam of Tabriz said during Friday’s prayers that “Iran will never tolerate any step that will lead to the blocking of the border between Iran and Armenia. Iran will resist it because it is a thousand-year-old communication route.”
Allahnur Kyarimitabar, Khamenei’s representative in the Ilam province said, that “During the visit of the presidents of Turkey and Russia, the issue of the Armenian-Iranian border was also emphasized. They should never think that they can threaten the thousand-year global highway and create an obstacle for Iran.”
IRNA reported that Imams in other regions of Iran also repeated Khamenei’s statement during Friday prayers.