Political scientist: Washington meeting is a signal to Iran that  Armenia is not an ally and the border could close at any moment

ArmInfo. The Washington meeting served primarily  as a signal to Iran that Armenia is not an ally of Tehran and that the border could be closed at any moment. This was the reaction of  political scientist and commentator  Benjamin Matevosyan  on his Telegram channel to the joint statement  by the Armenian and US governments regarding the framework for  implementing the Trump Roadmap to International Peace and Prosperity  (TRIPP), published by the Armenian Foreign Ministry.

The analyst first  presented the main agreements reached between  Armenia and the US within the TRIPP framework. He pointed out under  the document,  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan handed over 74% of the  TRIPP project  to the US for 49 years, noting that it allows for the  merging of project shares or even gifting them. This means, as the  expert explained, the US could take 100% of the project and then gift  the Armenian 26% to  "friends" of US Ambassador to Turkey Tom  Barrack. "And it's unlikely that Pashinyan's government would  strongly resist this," Matevosyan believes.

He then noted that Armenia is providing both the territory and, if  necessary, the investment for the project.  This means that much of  the construction should be financed by Armenia, but 74% of the  revenue goes to the US, and Azerbaijan reaps the benefits.  "Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, for his part, did not want to  see Armenians at border customs checkpoints, and the joint  declaration 'wrapped' this desire in 'overseas terminology': a front  office and a back office, where Armenians will not communicate with  Azerbaijanis who receive unimpeded passage. It's worth noting that  'unimpeded passage' is precisely what Baku insisted on in the context  of the so-called 'Zangezur Corridor.' The use of this term in the  document with the US confirms that Pashinyan is fulfilling Aliyev's  demands, simply through a 'mediator.' Aliyev has  once got what he  wanted from Pashinyan," the political scientist continued.

He also noted that the Armenian government essentially preferred this  document over the statement of November 9, 2020, after having  surrendered Artsakh in Prague in 2022. "The TRIPP project in its  current form is a logical continuation of the 2022 Prague agreements.  Having surrendered Artsakh under the pretext of 'saving Armenia's  sovereignty,' Pashinyan is now surrendering Armenia itself, packaging  his capitulation in the bright wrapping of 'Western investment,'"  Matevosyan claims.

He then drew attention to the timing of the signing  in the context  of regional  events. Matevosyan expressed conviction that all of this  fits within the logic of Armenia's integration into an anti-Iran  coalition.  In this regard, he recalled that the United States is  currently taking an open course toward dismantling the Iranian  regime: imposing unprecedented sanctions on countries doing business  with Tehran,  while Trump calls on protesters to seize administrative  buildings effectively puts the region on the brink of a major war,  openly raising the prospect of military strikes against Iran.  "In  response, Tehran is directly declaring that any form of institutional  US presence in the region,  military bases, and Israel will become  legitimate military targets. And it is at this very moment, when the  air in the region is charged to the breaking point, that Pashinyan  signs a document that personally brings the Americans to the  Armenian-Iranian border.

"The current government operates according to the logic of those very  same 'sleeper cells' who, having waited for the hour of reckoning,  are burning mosques in Iran today. Meanwhile the Armenian authorities  are stabbing the region's stability and centuries-old good-neighborly  relations in the back," the expert noted.

In this regard, the political scientist mentioned that while the  United States is an ocean away, Iran remains Armenia's eternal  neighbor. He noted that ignoring this fundamental truth is not simply  a mistake or incompetence. "In seven and a half years, we could have  learned to listen to the pulse of history.What we are seeing today is  deliberate, targeted sabotage, the price of which is the security and  very existence of Armenia," Matevosyan emphasized.

In conclusion, the political scientist noted that, with this document  of January 14, Armenia essentially stated its willingness to limit  its sovereignty to 26 percent and expressed its willingness to give  Aliyev what he wants: the absence of Armenians at the border and  customs. Regarding the wording, the political scientist clarified  that it is a frequently used diplomatic trick, necessary to avoid  ratification in parliament "if necessary," while still allowing  political processes to be launched, as well as to outline Armenia's  geopolitical lines and priorities.

"The lack of legal obligations in this case can only serve as a ploy,  allowing Pashinyan's government to avoid accusations of directly  violating the Constitution, while in practice, Armenia becomes part  of someone else's geopolitical scenario, directed against its  regional neighbor and its own national interests.  The Washington  meeting was needed primarily as a signal to Iran that Armenia is not  an ally of Tehran and that the border could be closed at any moment,"  Matevosyan concluded.

Earlier, the Armenian Foreign Ministry published a document outlining  the procedures for implementing the Trump Route for International  Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project. The document was presented  following the Mirzoyan-Rubio meeting in Washington. It is noted that  the document is a new step toward fulfilling the commitments made at  the White House on August 8, 2025, to promote lasting peace in the  South Caucasus. It is emphasized that it outlines the framework for  implementing TRIPP.