Friday, November 4 2022 16:35

ArmInfo.One should not expect deeper cooperation between Armenia and Iran In the field of security. A similar point of view is shared by expert on regional  issues Armen Petrosyan, commenting on the results of the November 1  visit of RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to Tehran.

As the expert noted, today all the states of the region are at the  stage of active political developments, when active political  processes are going on simultaneously in various directions. Against  this background, there are active contacts between representatives of  countries that have their own interests in the region, including  Iran.

In particular, as the expert noted, Tehran is counteracting Turkish  threats regarding the "corridor" logic, which is a "red" line for  both Iran and Armenia. In addition, Tehran is concerned about the  threats related to the security of Armenia, and if Yerevan feels this  on the borders of the country, then Iran inside its own state, where  various protests unfolded, against which the Turkish factor increased  significantly. This manifests itself in the form of attempts to  combine efforts to intensify propaganda steps by Turkey, Azerbaijan,  Israel, the United States, and Saudi Arabia directed against Iran.   In this context, the expert tied the prolongation of the barter deal  between Armenia and Iran on the exchange of gas for electricity not  only as an economic component of cooperation between the two states,  but also as a component aimed at improving the security of the  region. "Assessing the processes taking place in the region, one  should by no means rule out the possibility of a new war, in  conditions of which problems with Russian gas supplies may arise. And  for this reason, the agreement concluded in Tehran is becoming much  more important, especially against the background of the  strengthening of the role of Iran in the region on its own  initiative," the expert emphasized.

He reminded that if before the 2020 Artsakh war, Iran's position was  very restrained, then especially after the occupation of part of the  territory of Armenia by Azerbaijan in recent months, Tehran's  activities began to manifest much more energetically, including at  the highest level.  However, according to the expert, we should not  expect deeper cooperation between Armenia and Iran in the field of  security. And the reason for this must be sought in the context of  global processes, after the weakening of the positions of the Russian  Federation. Tehran considers this fact as an opportunity to fully  assert its positions in the region. " The reaction to the ongoing  processes is extremely important for Iran, because otherwise it may  face challenges within the country," Petrosyan said.

The expert noted that, relying on Iran, the Armenian side should take  into account several factors on which it is possible to confidently  continue work. First of all, we are talking about the problem of  "corridor", gas supply and containment of Turkish influence. But Iran  can start active military operations only if it feels a threat to its  own security. It was precisely on the basis of the possibility of  such a threat that the Iranian armed forces conducted exercises near  the borders with Azerbaijan. With the opening of the consulate in  Kapan, Iran made it clear about its national interests, which is well  understood both in Baku and in Ankara, who claim part of the  Armenian-Iranian border.