A so-called corridor connecting Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan through Armenia’s Syunik Province will be detrimental for both Iran and Armenia, Iran’s Ambassador to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani said during a press conference on Thursday.

“Only Armenia and Iran are aligned in their position on the so-called ‘Zangezur corridor,’” Sobhani said. “Only Iran supports Armenia, opposing the so-called ‘Zangezur corridor.’ Of all the countries in the region, only Iran stands by Armenia on this issue. We have no disagreements with Armenia on the so-called ‘Zangezur corridor.’”

Sobhani was reiterating Tehran’s long-held position, which again was conveyed to Baku this week when President Masoud Pezershkian met with Azerbaijan presidential adviser Hikmet Hajiyev in Tehran.

President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and his foreign minister, Jeyhun Bayramov, last week stepped up their insistence on the creation of the so-called corridor, with Aliyev demanding that the transport link through Armenia must become a reality, advancing his threats against Yerevan.

Sobhani on Thursday also discussed Moscow’s tacit support for the so-called corridor.

“We have clearly expressed our position to both Russia and other countries. We oppose the corridor logic, we are against any road under international control, and we reject anything that would lead to border changes. We have made this clear and do not take into account the considerations of other countries in this matter,” Sobhani said.

“Some countries are attempting to sow suspicion by alleging that Iran has rolled back its position on this issue. This matter concerns our security. We remain firm on issues related to our national security. This is our position – compare it with that of other countries. If they do not align, then we have disagreements with that country. For us, the interests of our country are the priority,” Sobhani emphasized, stressing that Iran will not retreat from its position.

“Iran will not negotiate any deals on this issue,” Sobhani asserted.

“We are not against the unblocking of roads, but only if it is implemented based on the national and territorial sovereignty of the countries. We stand for unblocking of the roads in the territory of Armenia, but it must be done based on respect for the national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Sobhani explained.

The Iranian Ambassador also announced that Yerevan and Tehran are in the process of working out a strategic partnership agreement between the two countries.