Iran has reiterated serious concerns over the U.S.-backed Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), despite repeated assurances from Pashinyan’s government and earlier statements by Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan suggesting that Tehran was satisfied with the project.
Speaking to journalists on October 30, Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Khalil Shirgholami said Tehran expects guarantees that no foreign forces will be stationed along the Armenian-Iranian border and that the project will not create security threats for Iran.
“We have serious concerns and expect Armenia to give us confidence that there will be no presence of any foreign forces on the Armenian-Iranian border and nobody could create a danger for Iran along that border and adjacent areas,” Shirgholami said.
The ambassador acknowledged that Armenian officials had repeatedly provided assurances at the highest level but stressed that mutual trust and concrete safeguards remain essential to preventing the project from becoming a threat to Iran.
His remarks come two weeks after Mirzoyan publicly downplayed Tehran’s concerns.
On October 16, Mirzoyan said Iran’s questions regarding TRIPP had been answered and expressed his belief that the Iranian side was satisfied with the process.
Addressing concerns about a possible American military presence, Mirzoyan stated that no such deployment would take place and that the project’s documents confirmed this.
Earlier, on October 7, following meetings with Iranian officials in Tehran, Mirzoyan told Armenia’s National Assembly that Iran was satisfied with the transparency surrounding TRIPP, the willingness to discuss outstanding questions, and the economic opportunities the project could provide.
However, Shirgholami’s latest remarks indicate that Tehran continues to seek assurances regarding the project’s implementation, particularly the mechanisms governing foreign involvement and border security.
The ambassador also emphasized that TRIPP must preserve Armenia’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty, warning against arrangements that could undermine Armenian jurisdiction or create challenges for strategic relations between Armenia and Iran.
Iran has repeatedly expressed concern that the United States could use the transport project to expand its security presence near Iranian territory.
In September, Shirgholami proposed establishing an institutional mechanism through which Armenia and Iran could jointly discuss emerging concerns and manage potential risks associated with TRIPP.
The project, which would connect Azerbaijan to Nakhijevan through Armenia’s southern Syunik region, remains a sensitive issue for Tehran because of its proximity to the Iranian border and the planned American role in its implementation.
While Armenian officials maintain that TRIPP will remain under Armenia’s sovereignty and jurisdiction and will not involve foreign military forces, Iran’s latest statements underscore its continued insistence on concrete guarantees as the project’s implementation mechanisms are developed.
