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.
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The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
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