MFA: Tehran firmly opposes destabilizing U.S. role in Caucasus

ArmInfo.  In an exclusive interview with ISNA, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran maintains deep suspicious regarding the malevolent intentions of the United States in the South Caucasus, explicitly reiterating  Tehran's firm  opposition to Washington's destabilizing presence in the region. 

Speaking to ISNA's diplomatic correspondent regarding the latest  developments in the Caucasus and the newly unveiled US-backed transit  initiative known as the TRIPP project, Baghaei emphasized that Iran's  position on the security of the South Caucasus remains clear,  consistent, and without any ambiguity.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes the expansion of economic  interactions and the unblocking of transit routes," Baghaei told  ISNA. "However, Tehran harbors severe suspicions toward the malicious  intentions of the United States, which holds a historical record of  wickedness and aggression across various regions of the world, and we  have explicitly declared our opposition to such a destabilizing  presence."

The spokesperson further emphasized that the South Caucasus is an  immediate neighbor of Iran, noting that Tehran views the peace,  stability, and economic progress of this region as directly aligned  with its own national interests.

Baghaei added that the destructive intervention of trans-regional  powers in Caucasus affairs poses a serious challenge to the  collective interests, peace, and stability of regional nations,  bringing "absolutely no benefit" to the people of the area.

Recall, Armenia and the United States have signed three agreements on  developing bilateral cooperation during US Secretary of State Marco  Rubio's visit to Yerevan on May 26: the charter on a Comprehensive  Strategic Partnership, a framework memorandum on the extraction and  processing of critical minerals and rare earths, and initialed a  framework agreement on strategic cooperation on the Trump Route for  International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project.