The Washington Accords, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, have reshaped the strategic balance in the South Caucasus and strengthened America’s position. According to The Washington Times, the shift reflects a broader realignment driven by security, transport corridors.
The report says, the Trump administration used executive powers to lift Section 907 restrictions, in place since 1992, to improve relations with Azerbaijan. The law remains in Congress, but Trump supporters are pushing for its permanent repeal.
“The Trump administration demonstrated a lot of dedication to our agenda of peace,” Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan told The Washington Times, adding that “Trump’s immediate reciprocity and full engagement” helped build momentum for the agreement.
Despite this shift, some lawmakers continue to advocate policies that analysts quoted in the report say inadvertently benefit Russia by limiting U.S. involvement. Brenda Shaffer of the Naval Postgraduate School said Azerbaijan’s geography makes it strategically unique.
“Azerbaijan matters strategically because it is the only country in the world that borders Russia and Iran,” she said.
The Washington Times underscores that Azerbaijan is a key partner for the U.S. and Israel, supplying 40–50% of Israel’s crude oil and relying on Israeli companies for military support.
“Israel and Azerbaijan have a real strategic alliance,” Ms. Shaffer said. “It goes far beyond oil and arms and has been developing steadily for three decades.”
The country is also boosting investment in the Middle Corridor, a transport route linking Central Asia to Europe via the Caspian. Container traffic at Baku port rose by over 30% in 2025, while railway restoration in Nakhchivan will secure access to Türkiye and Europe independently of Russia or Armenia.
At the center of the political dispute is Section 907 of the 1992 Freedom Support Act, which restricted U.S. aid to Azerbaijan following the first Karabakh war. Although presidents have waiver authority, the provision still requires annual renewal. The Trump administration argues this undermines long-term diplomacy.
“Both governments, Azerbaijan and Armenia, are making an uphill struggle of strengthening the peace,” Hikmet Hajiyev said. “But some in Congress are introducing completely unnecessary and divisive legislative acts.”
Analysts cited by The Washington Times say the main strategic challenge for both Azerbaijan and Armenia is Russia, rather than their bilateral conflict. While Azerbaijan reclaimed its territories in 2020, Armenian minefields and damaged infrastructure require long-term reconstruction.
The report adds that the U.S. and Armenia are negotiating joint management of infrastructure under the 'International Route for Peace and Prosperity,' with U.S. Ambassador Kristina Kvien saying relations now reach a strategic partnership level.
But Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan emphasised deeper ties with Washington do not mean a rupture with Moscow.
The Washington Times highlights Azerbaijan's efforts to building a brighter future for the region. Azerbaijan is fostering economic interdependence with Armenia, exporting oil products and facilitating grain shipments to Armenian markets.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says the status of Greenland did not arise in his talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, as Trump stepped back from...
Venezuelan oil exports under a flagship $2 billion supply deal with the U.S. reached about 7.8 million barrels on Wednesday, vessel-tracking data and ...
Azerbaijan’s State Oil Fund, State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), has signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement worth up to $1.4 billion w...
The United States is placing renewed emphasis on regional partnerships that offer predictability, security cooperation and economic continuity as inst...
Armenia and Azerbaijan will interconnect their energy systems, enabling mutual electricity imports and exports as part of a wider regional transit ini...
Azerbaijan’s State Oil Fund, State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), has signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement worth up to $1.4 billion with Brookfield Asset Management on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, officials said.
Armenia and Azerbaijan will interconnect their energy systems, enabling mutual electricity imports and exports as part of a wider regional transit initiative, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.
As part of the Frontline episodes, this AnewZ documentary investigates Libya fifteen years after the revolution and the fall of Gaddafi — a state caught between militias, foreign powers, energy interests and diplomatic manoeuvring.
Russia’s liquefied natural gas transit through Azerbaijan is emerging as a strategically significant development for Armenia at a time of rising domestic pressure on energy supplies, according to political analyst Fuad Karimli.
Several locally-developed instant messaging applications were reportedly restored in Iran on Tuesday (20 January), partially easing communications restrictions imposed after recent unrest.
There was a common theme in speeches at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday (20 January). China’s Vice-Premier, He Lifeng, warned that "tariffs and trade wars have no winners," while France's Emmanuel Macron, labelled "endless accumulation of new tariffs" from the U.S. "fundamentally unacceptable."
Dozens of beaches along Australia's east coast, including in Sydney, closed on Tuesday (20 January) after four shark attacks in two days, as heavy rains left waters murky and more likely to attract the animals.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would “work something out” with NATO allies on Tuesday, defending his approach to the alliance while renewing his push for U.S. control of Greenland amid rising tensions with Europe.
At the World Economic Forum’s “Defining Eurasia’s Economic Identity” panel on 20 January 2026, leaders from Azerbaijan, Armenia and Serbia discussed how the South Caucasus and wider Eurasian region can strengthen economic ties, peace and geopolitical stability amid shifting global influence.
Azerbaijan’s State Oil Fund, State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), has signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement worth up to $1.4 billion with Brookfield Asset Management on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, officials said.
The United States is placing renewed emphasis on regional partnerships that offer predictability, security cooperation and economic continuity as instability deepens across the Middle East and parts of Eurasia
Armenia and Azerbaijan will interconnect their energy systems, enabling mutual electricity imports and exports as part of a wider regional transit initiative, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.
Mine-clearing machines produced in Azerbaijan by ImProtex are being used to support demining operations across the country, as efforts continue to address landmine contamination left by past conflicts.
Qarabağ claimed a late 3–2 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, scoring deep into stoppage time to secure a dramatic home win in Baku.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment