Exclusive | Araghchi Says Pezeshkian’s Armenia Trip Aims to Preserve Regional Geopolitics

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says President Masoud Pezeshkian’s Monday trip to Armenia will focus on ensuring no alteration to the geopolitical map of the South Caucasus, stressing that Tehran remains firmly opposed to any border changes or foreign military presence in that region.

Araghchi said in an exclusive interview with IRNA that Pezeshkian's visit to Yerevan will provide an opportunity to restate Iran’s concerns and to “try to reach a reassuring mechanism in this regard.”

He emphasized, “Our main concern is that no changes take place in the geopolitics of the region, that no foreign forces enter the region. As we are worried about, for example, the presence of the Zionist regime in some of these countries, or the European Union’s attempts to gain a foothold here.”

He made clear that Iran’s definition of geopolitical change is not abstract. “By geopolitical changes, we mean alteration of internationally recognized borders, shifting of borders, or undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of regional states,” Araghchi said.

“We have stated very clearly that we will not tolerate such a thing, and our policy has always been clear.”

Araghchi pointed to the US-brokered peace agreement signed by Armenia and Azerbaijan earlier this month, noting that both Baku and Yerevan explicitly pledged to respect existing borders and sovereignty.

“From this perspective, our geopolitical concerns appear to have been addressed for now,” he said. “But whether they remain committed to this in the future is something we will closely monitor.”

The foreign minister also voiced Tehran’s reservations about potential US involvement under the pretext of infrastructure projects.

“Another concern is that this road could become an excuse for the presence of American forces in the region,” he said.

He pointed out that in recent days, senior Armenian officials, including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, have given Tehran assurances that in no way will American forces, or even private US security companies, enter Armenia because of this road.

Araghchi reiterated that these issues will be thoroughly discussed during President Pezeshkian’s visit.

“They told us they are familiar with Iran’s red lines and will respect them in the future,” he said. “Nevertheless, we will continue to follow this matter very carefully.”