🔹️ In light of recent developments in the South Caucasus and the plan to hand over the management of the strategic Zangezur corridor to an American company, regional dynamics in power and security are shifting. This project, masked as an economic initiative, is viewed as a serious threat to the sovereignty of nations and the future of Iran’s transit routes. The following text briefly outlines the scale of this process and its implications for Iran’s national interests.
1️⃣ The official plan to transfer control of the Syunik (Zangezur) crossing to a private American company—under the guise of promoting economic transit—is in fact the first step toward changing the geopolitical governance of the South Caucasus. With this move, Armenia relinquishes control over its borders, while the land route from Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan, free of official passport and customs checks, comes under the strategic interests of Washington and Tel Aviv.
2️⃣ Turkey is also exploiting this corridor as a direct route to the Caspian Sea and a way to undermine the monopoly of Russia and Iran over the North-South axis. Though the so-called “fake Zangezur Corridor” appears in the form of private contracts, its ultimate goal is to ensure the security and military presence of the United States and Israel in Iran’s southwestern neighborhood.
3️⃣ Following this model of Syunik’s transnationalization, each regional and transregional actor strengthens its position:
• Azerbaijan benefits from foreign support to secure the transit of its military equipment,
• Turkey seeks strategic depth in Central Asia and the Caspian region,
• The United States and Israel aim to establish a powerful intelligence and military infrastructure in the region under the cover of a private company.
4️⃣ On the other hand, the Islamic Republic of Iran faces disruptions in the North-South railway corridor (Bandar Abbas–Baku–Russia) and interruptions in the transport of goods and energy, while sanctions and financial pressures on its domestic economy may increase. Moscow sees the plan as a threat to the security architecture of the Caucasus, Beijing is concerned about the stability of the “Belt and Road” route, and Brussels views it as a risk to Europe’s border infrastructure.
Final Word:
To neutralize this geopolitical trap, Iran must act through two complementary tools:
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Fundamental strengthening of the North-South railway: Completing the railway lines from Bandar Abbas to Yazd, Gorgan, and Astara, and increasing container capacity to ensure uninterrupted flow of goods from the Indian Ocean to Central Asia.
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Enhancing the role of Chabahar Port: Developing railway and road terminals in the free trade zone with the participation of India and Afghanistan to create a transit hub independent of Western-controlled routes.
Establishing a balanced diplomatic strategy with Russia and China, along with effective engagement with Yerevan and Baku, is the only key to preserving national sovereignty and preventing transregional adversaries from dominating the country’s vital corridors.
✍️ Mehdi Honarideh
Expert in Political and International Affairs