Iran a serious power in Caucasus region: Armenian expert

Tatoik Hayrapetian told ILNA that Iran is an important and big actor in the region and can influence trends.

Iran does not need any format to play a role in regional issues, he said, adding that both the relations between Iran and Armenia and the relations with Azerbaijan allow Iran to play an active role in the affairs of the Caucasus.

Iran's decisive position in the field of maintaining the border with Armenia is a great help to Yerevan to maintain its territorial integrity, he noted.

He also emphasized that the Armenian people consider Iran as their good ally and Iran's support has made the Armenian leadership not surrender under the pressure of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

The blockade of the Lachin corridor immediately after the joint military exercise of Turkey and Azerbaijan is not accidental and the alliance of Baku and Ankara is not only against Armenia and Artsakh but also against Iran, he said.

Commenting on the role of Israel in the recent developments in the Karabakh region, he said that Tel Aviv helped Azerbaijan in the Karabakh war, and today Baku has to pay the price for that help by letting Israel open its hand on Iran's border.

Iran is a serious power in the region that always plays the balancer role, he noted.

After the occupation of the Karabakh region by Azerbaijan, Iran has faced security problems, he said, adding that it is necessary for Iran to play its special role to prevent the region from spiraling into security problems that can be disastrous for the entire region.