Ali Akbar Velayati, senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has acknowledged that Iran’s previous military exercises near its northwestern borders were deliberately aimed at countering the proposed “Zangezur Corridor” initiative.
Speaking to local media, Velayati said the drills served as a clear message of deterrence. “Those military exercises were not coincidental. They were a strategic move to signal Iran’s opposition to the so-called Zangezur Corridor project,” he stated.
The proposed corridor, which envisions connecting Azerbaijan to its exclave Nakhchivan through Armenia’s southern Syunik province, has raised alarm in Tehran. Iranian officials have repeatedly warned that any alteration of regional borders or transit routes without their involvement would be unacceptable.
Velayati underlined that Iran has adopted a policy of “active prevention” rather than a passive or reactive approach. “This is a matter of national security for us. The Islamic Republic of Iran does not sit idly when its borders and regional influence are at stake. Our strategic doctrine is based on active engagement to prevent undesirable developments,” he added.
Velayati’s remarks come amid renewed tensions over regional transport projects, as both geopolitical competition and infrastructure initiatives reshape the post-conflict landscape of the South Caucasus.
On Monday (8 September), two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Police described the incident as a “terrori...
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has proposed the creation of a unicameral parliament in the country. Speaking to the nation on Monday at the pa...
U.S. defence secretary Pete Hegseth and joint chiefs of staff chairman Dan Caine made a surprise visit to Puerto Rico on Monday, marking the first tri...
Diplomatic tensions between Spain and Israel have escalated sharply, with Madrid recalling its ambassador from Tel Aviv on Monday. The move came after...
On Monday (8 September), two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Police described the incident as a “terrorist attack,” reporting that six people were killed and several others injured.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has proposed the creation of a unicameral parliament in the country. Speaking to the nation on Monday at the parliament in Astana, he said the reform would have a “serious positive impact” on the country’s socio-economic development.
U.S. defence secretary Pete Hegseth and joint chiefs of staff chairman Dan Caine made a surprise visit to Puerto Rico on Monday, marking the first trip by senior Pentagon officials since Washington increased its military presence in the Caribbean, heightening tensions with Venezuela.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Türkiye’s premier technology festival, TEKNOFEST, is set to begin next week on 17 September at Istanbul Atatürk Airport. The five-day event is organised by the Turkish Technology Team (T3) Foundation and the Ministry of Industry and Technology.
Iran said recent expert-level talks with the Vienna-based IAEA, as well as FM Abbas Aragchi’s negotiations with the EU’s Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas, were positive as the clock ticks by toward the end of September deadline to decide the termination or reimposition of nuclear sanctions.
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have signed an agreement on joint water and energy resource management through to 2026.
Uzbekistan has sent humanitarian aid to Afghanistan following the series of earthquakes and aftershocks that hit the country last week causing thousand of deaths and leaving thousands others displaced.
A 16-year-old has been arrested over the killing of two officers in a gun attack on a police station in the western Turkish city of Izmir on Monday, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.
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