live U.S.-Iran standoff continues as Hormuz shipping and diplomacy remain uncertain
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to res...
Azerbaijan has recorded its first-ever imports from Armenia, signalling a tentative shift in economic ties between the two neighbours.
In March this year, Azerbaijan imported goods worth $960 from Armenia, marking the first recorded import from its neighbour, according to the news agency Report, citing the State Customs Committee.
In response to a query from Report, the State Customs Committee clarified that the $960 worth of items were roses from the Netherlands, transported through Armenia to Azerbaijan.
Meanwhile, in the first quarter of the year, Baku exported $5.757 million to Yerevan.
It noted that that in last month alone, Azerbaijan exported $1.537 million worth of products.
Export receipts from Armenia represented 0.1% of Azerbaijan’s total export revenues.
Overall, between January and March this year, Azerbaijan’s trade turnover with foreign countries totalled $9.407 billion, representing a 21.9% decline compared with the same period last year.
Of that total, $5.402 billion came from exports and $4.005 billion from imports. Year on year, exports fell by 15.4%, while imports dropped by 29.3%.
As a result, Azerbaijan recorded a foreign trade surplus of $1.398 billion, 93.4% higher than a year earlier.
The landmark trilateral summit held in Washington on 8 August 2025 served as a decisive turning point for South Caucasus trade, resulting in the establishment of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).
This U.S.-backed framework has shifted the region’s dynamics from conflict management to infrastructure-led peacebuilding by facilitating the reopening of critical transit routes. The agreement has already yielded tangible economic results, with the lifting of long-standing transit restrictions enabling the movement of more than 10,000 tonnes of fuel and industrial goods between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
By providing a structured gateway through the Zangezur Corridor, the TRIPP initiative not only secures a 43-kilometre transit link across Armenian territory but also integrates the region into a broader Eurasian logistics network, supported by a $145 million U.S. commitment to infrastructure and cross-border security.
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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