once content to defer to Moscow

“The biggest concern in Iran is that such a corridor would, once and for all, end any prospects for Iran’s involvement in…East-West transport,” Azizi said. A US-managed route heightens these anxieties by placing American interests “directly on Iran’s northern border.” This shift comes as Russia’s leverage in the South Caucasus erodes amid the war in Ukraine and shifting power dynamics since the Second Karabakh War. Iran, once content to defer to Moscow, now finds its buffer under threat. With “limited strategic options,” Tehran is engaging all major actors while seeking “closer political and security cooperation with Armenia.” According to Azizi, Iran’s official statements and military drills it has held in the area since 2021 are less about confrontation than signaling unwillingness to accept unfettered foreign presence on its borders. หนังใหม่2025