In late 2025, Iran appeared to recalibrate its approach to Armenia, shifting from a security-centred posture toward a more conventional diplomatic engagement, as regional dynamics in the South Caucasus evolved.
A visible signal of this adjustment was Tehran’s decision to replace its ambassador in Yerevan.
Mehdi Sobhani, who concluded his mission in September 2025, had frequently been described by regional analysts as closely aligned with Iran’s security establishment, including structures linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iranian officials have not publicly commented on such characterisations.
He was succeeded by Khalil Shirgholami, a career diplomat with a background in international studies and research.
The appointment was widely interpreted by observers as a signal that Tehran intended to place greater emphasis on traditional diplomacy rather than overt security signalling in its engagement with Armenia.
This personnel change coincided with a broader regional shift. On 8 August 2025, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a U.S.-mediated normalisation agreement in Washington.
The agreement addressed long-standing disputes and outlining frameworks for economic cooperation and regional connectivity.
Discussions linked to the agreement included a proposed transport route connecting Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave via Armenia’s Syunik region.
The initiative, publicly referred to by U.S. officials as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, or TRIPP, was presented as part of broader efforts to unblock regional transport links, without altering internationally recognised borders.
Iran’s initial response to these developments was measured. In late July 2025, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei reiterated Tehran’s long-standing position that any regional transport arrangements must respect state sovereignty and territorial integrity, while publicly welcoming dialogue around Armenia’s “Crossroads of Peace” initiative.
Iranian and Armenian officials held consultations in August 2025 to discuss regional connectivity, during which Tehran reiterated that it was closely following developments affecting its northern neighbourhood and expected transparency regarding transit arrangements.
Diplomacy over Confrontation
Observers noted a subtle shift in Iran’s public language in the second half of 2025, with official statements increasingly referring to “transport routes” rather than “corridors”, a change some analysts interpreted as an effort to de-escalate rhetoric and keep discussions within diplomatic frameworks.
This tone was reflected on 29 December 2025, when Baghaei stated that Iran’s regional relationships are based on mutual interests and respect for sovereignty, and that Tehran remained committed to developing ties with Armenia across economic, political and cultural fields.
The remarks contrasted with earlier Iranian statements that had placed stronger emphasis on opposing external involvement near Iran’s borders.
At the same time, Armenia signalled a gradual diversification of its foreign relations. In late November 2025, Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan visited Israel, while Armenia’s economy minister held meetings with Israeli officials.
Such engagements, while not directed against Iran, have traditionally been approached with caution by Tehran.
Iran’s response appeared restrained. In early 2026, Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Ravanchi travelled to Yerevan for talks with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.
Official readouts focused on cooperation, trade, and the unblocking of regional infrastructure, using language that emphasised dialogue rather than opposition.
Armenian officials, for their part, publicly reaffirmed that relations with Iran remain strategically important, even as Yerevan engages with broader regional and international frameworks.
Analysts suggest Iran’s evolving approach reflects a recognition that it has limited leverage to reverse Armenia’s expanding diplomatic options or fully shape regional transport initiatives.
Instead, Tehran appears focused on safeguarding its interests through diplomatic engagement, economic cooperation, and cautious participation in emerging regional formats.
By appointing a career diplomat in Yerevan and moderating its public rhetoric, Iran is signalling an intent to maintain stable neighbourly relations, even as the South Caucasus enters a period of wider geopolitical realignment.
Wall Street ended sharply lower on Tuesday as investors worried about AI creating more competition for software makers, keeping them on edge ahead of ...
Small Cirrus SR 20 crashed in Littleborough, Rochdale, after taking off from Birmingham Airport...
President Donald Trump on Tuesday (February 3) said the U.S. is negotiating with Iran "right now," after Tehran demanded that planned talks be held in...
A second group of Palestinian medical evacuees arrived in Egypt from Gaza via the Rafah border crossing on Tuesday (February 3), the second day since ...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that Kyiv is waiting for a response from the United States after overnight Russian attacks dam...
Wall Street ended sharply lower on Tuesday as investors worried about AI creating more competition for software makers, keeping them on edge ahead of quarterly reports from Alphabet and Amazon later this week.
Small Cirrus SR 20 crashed in Littleborough, Rochdale, after taking off from Birmingham Airport
President Donald Trump on Tuesday (February 3) said the U.S. is negotiating with Iran "right now," after Tehran demanded that planned talks be held in Oman not Türkiye, and that the scope be narrowed.
A second group of Palestinian medical evacuees arrived in Egypt from Gaza via the Rafah border crossing on Tuesday (February 3), the second day since the crossing reopened.
Heavy snow continued to batter northern and western Japan on Saturday (31 January) leaving cities buried under record levels of snowfall and prompting warnings from authorities. Aomori city in northern Japan recorded 167 centimetres of snow by Friday - the highest January total since 1945.
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
Talks with the U.S. should be pursued to secure national interests as long as "threats and unreasonable expectations" are avoided, President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X on Tuesday (3 February).
Early voting for Thailand’s parliamentary elections began on Sunday (1 February), with more than two million eligible voters casting ballots nationwide ahead of the 8 February general election, as authorities acknowledged errors and irregularities at some polling stations.
At least 12 people were killed and seven wounded after a Russian drone struck a bus carrying miners in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, government officials said on Sunday (1 February).
The U.S. military says an F-35 shot down an Iranian drone that approached the Abraham Lincoln carrier in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday, in an incident reported by Reuters.
Türkiye’s defence and aerospace exports surged by 44 percent year on year in January 2026, hitting a record monthly high of more than $555 million as overseas demand for Turkish-built military technology continued to grow, the Turkish Defence Industries Secretariat said on Monday (2 February).
Kazakhstan sharply increased oil shipments to Europe in January, exporting 310,000 tonnes to Germany and sending a further 106,000 tonnes via the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline.
Kazakhstan has approved plans for a second nuclear power plant in a significant scaling up of the country's nuclear ambitions. It comes a year after a referendum, which suggested more than 71 per cent support for the project, but which was also accompanied by allegations of irregularities.
Armed boats tried to intercept a vessel north of Oman on Tuesday in waters near the Strait of Hormuz, where heightened military activity and U.S.–Iran tensions are fuelling maritime security concerns.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment