International Court of Justice rules that Azerbaijan must open Lachin Corridor
Lillian AvedianFebruary 22, 2023Last Updated: February 22, 2023
24 4 minutes read
Members of the Delegation of Armenia
Membres de la délégation de l’Arménie
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), principal judicial organ of the UN, delivers its Order (by video link) in the case concerning Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan) on 22 February 2023, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court. Session held under the presidency of Judge Joan E. Donoghue, President of the Court. The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States (its Decisions are final and binding) and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized UN organs and agencies. Its official languages are English and French. For more information: www.icj-cij.org
La Cour internationale de Justice (CIJ), organe judiciaire principal des Nations Unies, rend son ordonnance en l’affaire relative à Application de la convention internationale sur l’élimination de toutes les formes de discrimination raciale (Arménie c. Azerbaïdjan) le 22 février 2023 au Palais de la Paix, à La Haye, où la Cour a son siège. Séance tenue sous la présidence de Mme Joan E. Donoghue, présidente de la Cour. La mission de la Cour est de régler, conformément au droit international, les différends d’ordre juridique qui lui sont soumis par les Etats (ses arrêts sont sans appel et obligatoires pour les Parties) et de donner des avis consultatifs sur les questions juridiques que lui posent les organes et les institutions de l’ONU autorisés à le faire. Ses deux langues officielles sont le français et l’anglais. Pour en savoir plus: www.icj-cij.org
Photographie: Photo ONU/CIJ-ICJ/Wiebe Kiestra. Avec l'aimable autorisation de la CIJ. Tous droits réservés.
Photograph: UN Photo/ICJ-CIJ/Wiebe Kiestra. Courtesy of the ICJ. All rights reserved.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), principal judicial organ of the UN, delivers its Order (by video link) in the case concerning Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan) on 22 February 2023, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court. Session held under the presidency of Judge Joan E. Donoghue, President of the Court. (Photo: UN
Lillian Avedian is the assistant editor of the Armenian Weekly. She reports on international women's rights, South Caucasus politics, and diasporic identity. Her writing has also been published in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Democracy in Exile, and Girls on Key Press. She holds master's degrees in journalism and Near Eastern studies from New York University.
First of all, take off the stupid masks. Second of all, OR WHAT??? This is another useless and powerless HOT AIR announcement against Azerbaijan. Armenia keeps getting punched in the face and the only thing it can do is tell the teacher who doesn’t do anything. What if they don’t unblock Lachin (which they won’t)? If Armenia had any power, it would solve its problems through the use of its powerful military. Too bad it is a weak, poor, underpopulated, and corrupt country. Sorry–not sorry. We are speaking the truth here. Thirty years of corruption, mismanagement, bribery, nepotism, division, tax evasion, and even MURDER are the reason why Armenia is on its knees over and over, begging the world again, for help.
You are right. The population flees to Glendale so that they can put Defend Artsakh decals on their cars and drive around. Laughable. With the traitor pashinyan at the helm the losses keep piling up. Just look at him, does he look like a hero? No.
An oversimplification of a complex problem, but much of what Martin said is true. Reducing the situation to the internal politics of Armenia is ridiculously oversimplified.
I think there is a lot more to this other than some of the points you made. It is true that the corruption by the officials over the years had played a major role in the outcome of the latest undeclared terroristic war imposed on the Armenians, once again, but this time planned, provoked, initiated and dictated by NATO member terrorist Turkey, right under Russia’s nose, on militarily incompetent Azerbaijan’s behalf. There is a reason why Azerbaijan could not do anything in thirty years, despite its petrodollar wealth, and had to get terrorist Turkey involved in this conflict directly and militarily unlike the past war, the victorious Artsakh Liberation War of 1990, which was fought between the two sides on their own more or less.
I think incompetent Pashinyan and his dysfunctional government played a major role in the disastrous outcome of the latest war. Once he seized power with his fake ‘Velvet Revolution’ which was nothing but a regime change, he retired all the battle-hardened military generals and the officials who had fought in the 1990 victorious war and replaced them with unqualified military leaders subservient to his authority. Based on some of my research, several former military officials who planned and participated in the liberation of Artsakh and its cultural center Shushi, but only in advisory position in Pashinyan’s government and with no military authority, had devised plans of preemptive attack on the enemy knowing full well what path the enemy had to take to enter Shushi because they had already done that themselves thirty years prior and Pashinyan’s military leaders scrapped it hours before it was to go into action. There are also satellite photos of enemy battalions nearby taken by the Armenian side without any counteraction to destroy and wipe out the enemy which they could. There are many other conspiracy theories about how this war was handled by this unpatriotic sorry excuse for leaders. Pashinyan never served in the military. How is it possible to hand over power to someone like him in a country that had been in a state of war for the last thirty years? It does not make any sense to me.
I think the blockade of the Berdzor corridor (Բերձորի միջանցք) falsely known as ‘Lachin corridor’ happened because of the weaknesses shown by this unpatriotic leader. The Russians had a hand in too it for sure. The Russians have wedged themselves in-between the two sides, as so-called peacekeepers with no authority for use of force unless attacked, and based on their past handling of very tense and critical situations it is evident that they are not acting neutrally. In many ways, they are there to punish the Armenian side for their perceived Pashinyan’s pro-Western policies. Armenians are unable to defend themselves against Azerbaijani criminals because of the Russians and the Russians won’t engage the Azerbaijani criminals which further emboldens the enemy to continue to suppress the Armenian side with impunity. There are cases where the Russian peacekeepers force the Armenian side back creating a vacuum for the Azerbaijani side to move forward and take over.
Things won’t change for the better until this dysfunctional and unpatriotic government is gone and the country is cleaned of all internal enemies and corruption!
As with the Genocide, Turkey and the blood brothers in Azerbaijan will not be held accountable and there will be no penalty for their criminal actions. Sadly, following the examples of Israel and North Korea, it may come to pass that Armenia and Artsakh’s only recourse is to develop weapons of mass destruction (nuclear warheads) as the only deterrent against the Turkic countries.
Not sadly but joyfully. I look forward to the day when we have nuclear weapons and the will to use them. Only then our two terrorist and genocidal neighboring states, both created artificially by destruction and displacement of the indigenous populations and seizure of their ancestral homelands, will sober up and come to their senses. They have a very large appetite for other people’s properties and we must put an end to that by any and all means at our disposal. Followed by retaliation for their crimes and the liberation of every inch of Armenian territory under their occupation.
Do not forger western countries blame armenia havin good relations with lran also lf lran make nuclear weapons nato will allow turks to have nuclear weapon to make balance against lran if we armenia choose our side along to lran we must forget western help or be like lsrael then armenians in arab states will be open target for radicals
As an aside it seems likely the mask rule (which is rather passe now) in the ICJ is because they are one world government creeps. If Iran with far more resources has trouble reaching nuclear power then for Armenia its delusional and such unattainable fantasies only give false hope and the despondency of reality. Also as for nuclear weapons whilst there the big stick aspect if nuclear weapons are never ever used then they become a grave folly. Not to mention a nuclear arms race either! Turkey which is likely to be resentful of Iranian nuclear weapons cannot have a programme of its own as a NATO member. Putin’s Russia that likes to be all things to everyone finds itself nothing to no one. To the Armenians it has let them down to the Azeris its interfering in their country, not a basis for sustainable creditablity and its Ukraine problems further that greatly. Whilst Pashinyan might have thrown Armenian defence, those with commanding experience of the 1991 – 94 conflict where likely to have been an old guard and experts in the last war. Far too many Armenians thought before 2020 because they had won against the odds it meant that they would be able to do it again on that basis. Also there is the victor syndrome where there isn’t the incentive to modernise whereas the defeated is more open to new ideas.
Having nuclear warheads is one thing then you have to be able to launch them. You’ll need a rocket program. Armenia is also a signatory to the treaty which gives it many advantages. You’ll loose all those for starters. Also news will get out and it will create a mess. Azeri will attack. Russia won’t allow it anyways, aren’t the plants controlled by Russia? Armenians should focus on their birth rates. Government can offer incentives for child birth, etc. Your just in a bad location geographically. Look at things from the bright side, how many people’s have come and gone but you guys are still around? Everything can suddenly get better the conditions just have to be right. IMO you should focus on the future, work your butts off and make Armenia a better nation.
If there is one country in the world that deserves a nuclear deterrent, it is Armenia who faced and continues to face total extermination, but how delusional are we to believe the world powers will allow that to happen? The wiser course of action is to rid Armenia of traitors, reduce corruption, and have realistic diplomacy that serves the best interests of the Armenian Nation, and this includes having good relations with diaspora for practical repatriation and growth.
Those that criticize the past leaders are still in denial that, while they were corrupt and thieves, the close relations to Russia prevented Turkey and Azerbaijan attacking Armenia. Why is it any surprise or causing anger that Putin and Russia decided to abandon the Armenian people when its citizens decided to vote, twice, for a government led by Pashinyan that is anti-Russia and going above and beyond to weaken Armenia?
Is it any coincidence that the blockade started shortly after Nancy Pelosi visited Armenia? What did we get in return from that visit besides continuing to anger Russia? After her crocodile tears session at the genocide memorial, she headed to congress waiving the Artsakh flag and sent billions in aid. Oh, that’s right, that was for Ukraine.
When you follow the enemies of Armenia, you will find policy papers about the dissolution of the Russian Federation and NATO/Turkish control of the Caucasus region. That is what they want to happen in the immediate decades and are terrified of a powerful Russia, and China. Throughout history Armenians have been used and abused, and yet most of us still do not get it. Go all the way back to the time of the genocide when Jews were coveting Palestine from the Ottomans to the Europeans coveting the Caucasian and Caspian natural resources.
When will Armenians finally wake up to the sad reality that our enemies are not only Turks, but Western powers, Europeans, Americans, etc. They may not hate us, but they do not care for us, and use us to achieve their goals. History repeats and you find it again and again, including the Crusaders who killed Armenians too, but rarely do you hear that part of the story. It annoys me to no end when most Armenians and organizations mention Christianity as if that has any relevance.
We can disappear tomorrow without a care in the world. They only cater to us with the illusion and theater of support because most politicians like to get votes from the vast diaspora. Sorry to shatter the false reality of assimilated and brainwashed Armenians. The genocide continues with each new passing generation.
There’re signed agreements between Armenia & Russia, as well as between Armenia & CSTO; in both cases Armenia’s allies failed to honor the alliance agreements, whether we’re talking about th 2020 War, but certainly since then, Russia and the CSTO refuse to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its sins. You might ask, “What sins?” Well for starters, how about the invasion of UN recognized Armenia, in 2022, or the failure to hold Azerbaijan accountable for besieging Artsakh’s logistical connections to the outside world. Russia is like an abusive husband, threatening terrible things.
Yes the fantastic previous leaders which bled the country of a million people? Yes, that’s exemplary nation building.
The blockade wasn’t shortly after Pelosis visit, but 3 months later. It was that visit which cemented US commitment to blocking further Azeri incursions into Armenia proper.
You know what preceded the lachin blockade? Russian troops laying the red carpet for then. You know what preceded the September incursions? Russians laying the red carpet for them.
@ Concerned Armenian
Remember if Armenia was to unify with Russia as you so earnestly support the prospect of that Yerevan as a regional capital would automatically divolve its foreign policies to Moscow who has fairly good; full diplomatic relationships with Ankara and Baku – an unexpected change for Armenia. It was Moscow who signed away western Armenia to Turkey and assigned Arktash to Azerbaijan as they apparently know Armenias interests better than Armenians. Pashinyan “the anti Russia” might be selling out to Turkey and Azerbaijan but as Russia has cordial relations with both anyway what is the difference?
Armenian Christianity came from Syria and Georgian Christianity is closest to it
Armenians are closest racially to the Greeks
Armenians closest neighbouring people are the Iranians
There is no reason for Armenia to define its identity like Ukraine is currently doing but no reason to infatuate with Russia either
When you defend a country to defend yourself you are not an ally in the true sense of the word. It is just that your interests overlap with those of the country you have no choice but to defend. The relationship between Iran and Armenia can realistically be characterized as the proverbial the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Iran and Armenia have the same Turkish and pseudo-Turkish enemies in common. Iran has no choice but to defend Armenia by defending the territorial integrity of Armenia because Armenia stands as a wall between our and their common enemies acting as an obstacle in their unification which Iran has to try to avoid at any cost. Even though the majority of a sizable Turkish-speaking Iranian nationals are fully integrated into the Iranian society there is still a sizable separatist minority among them that under right conditions can pose a threat to Iran. As a reminder, during the 2020 joint Turkish-Azerbaijani undeclared terroristic war on the Armenians, the slogan of this separatist group inside Iran was ‘Rus, Fars, Ermeni Azerbaijan dushmani’ which basically says the enemies of Azerbaijan are the Russians, the Persians and the Armenians.
Furthermore, the foreign ambassador of your TRUE ally, Javad Zarif at the time, would not have congratulated your enemy’s terrorist-in-chief Aliyev the chicken-hawk ‘khan’ of Baku for his seizure of liberated Armenian territories on his first visit to Baku after the war which coward Aliyev, who was MIA in the 1990s war, bought and paid with petrodollars. He would have abstained from making such a remark and remained neutral in the least. The real reason why today Iran is so determined and has militarily displayed its commitment to its words against Azerbaijani demands and aggression in the Iran-Armenia border region, other than defending its own interests, is because of the close relations between the criminal and morally-bankrupt Azerbaijani and Israeli leaderships, Israel today replacing Russia for most weapons deliveries to Azerbaijan, and the military presence of Israel on Azerbaijani-occupied Armenian territories in the south bordering Iran and that primarily for the purpose of taking out Iranian nuclear facilities.
Last but not least, for the leadership of the Islamic republic of Iran ‘karabakh’ is neither Armenian nor Azerbaijani land. It is ‘Islamic land’ whatever the heck that means which in many ways reminds me of the recent conversion of 4th century Basilica of Eastern Orthodox Christianity into a mosque, the Greek Hagia Sophia in occupied Constantinople, by the Islamo-fascist Turkish mullah and terrorist-in-chief Erdogan. Let’s not fool ourselves!
First of all, take off the stupid masks. Second of all, OR WHAT??? This is another useless and powerless HOT AIR announcement against Azerbaijan. Armenia keeps getting punched in the face and the only thing it can do is tell the teacher who doesn’t do anything. What if they don’t unblock Lachin (which they won’t)? If Armenia had any power, it would solve its problems through the use of its powerful military. Too bad it is a weak, poor, underpopulated, and corrupt country. Sorry–not sorry. We are speaking the truth here. Thirty years of corruption, mismanagement, bribery, nepotism, division, tax evasion, and even MURDER are the reason why Armenia is on its knees over and over, begging the world again, for help.
You are right. The population flees to Glendale so that they can put Defend Artsakh decals on their cars and drive around. Laughable. With the traitor pashinyan at the helm the losses keep piling up. Just look at him, does he look like a hero? No.
Its the sad truth, might is right.
An oversimplification of a complex problem, but much of what Martin said is true. Reducing the situation to the internal politics of Armenia is ridiculously oversimplified.
I think there is a lot more to this other than some of the points you made. It is true that the corruption by the officials over the years had played a major role in the outcome of the latest undeclared terroristic war imposed on the Armenians, once again, but this time planned, provoked, initiated and dictated by NATO member terrorist Turkey, right under Russia’s nose, on militarily incompetent Azerbaijan’s behalf. There is a reason why Azerbaijan could not do anything in thirty years, despite its petrodollar wealth, and had to get terrorist Turkey involved in this conflict directly and militarily unlike the past war, the victorious Artsakh Liberation War of 1990, which was fought between the two sides on their own more or less.
I think incompetent Pashinyan and his dysfunctional government played a major role in the disastrous outcome of the latest war. Once he seized power with his fake ‘Velvet Revolution’ which was nothing but a regime change, he retired all the battle-hardened military generals and the officials who had fought in the 1990 victorious war and replaced them with unqualified military leaders subservient to his authority. Based on some of my research, several former military officials who planned and participated in the liberation of Artsakh and its cultural center Shushi, but only in advisory position in Pashinyan’s government and with no military authority, had devised plans of preemptive attack on the enemy knowing full well what path the enemy had to take to enter Shushi because they had already done that themselves thirty years prior and Pashinyan’s military leaders scrapped it hours before it was to go into action. There are also satellite photos of enemy battalions nearby taken by the Armenian side without any counteraction to destroy and wipe out the enemy which they could. There are many other conspiracy theories about how this war was handled by this unpatriotic sorry excuse for leaders. Pashinyan never served in the military. How is it possible to hand over power to someone like him in a country that had been in a state of war for the last thirty years? It does not make any sense to me.
I think the blockade of the Berdzor corridor (Բերձորի միջանցք) falsely known as ‘Lachin corridor’ happened because of the weaknesses shown by this unpatriotic leader. The Russians had a hand in too it for sure. The Russians have wedged themselves in-between the two sides, as so-called peacekeepers with no authority for use of force unless attacked, and based on their past handling of very tense and critical situations it is evident that they are not acting neutrally. In many ways, they are there to punish the Armenian side for their perceived Pashinyan’s pro-Western policies. Armenians are unable to defend themselves against Azerbaijani criminals because of the Russians and the Russians won’t engage the Azerbaijani criminals which further emboldens the enemy to continue to suppress the Armenian side with impunity. There are cases where the Russian peacekeepers force the Armenian side back creating a vacuum for the Azerbaijani side to move forward and take over.
Things won’t change for the better until this dysfunctional and unpatriotic government is gone and the country is cleaned of all internal enemies and corruption!
It is not simple to connect corruption with military success or lack of it. Look at Azerbaijan.
wow, finally says it as it is
What’s your point?
Stating the obvious? Just a tantrum?
You said it brother!
Oh…. the ICC. A puppet institution of little worth. The fact that it exists is disturbing. They feel like they have extrajudicial reach.
As with the Genocide, Turkey and the blood brothers in Azerbaijan will not be held accountable and there will be no penalty for their criminal actions. Sadly, following the examples of Israel and North Korea, it may come to pass that Armenia and Artsakh’s only recourse is to develop weapons of mass destruction (nuclear warheads) as the only deterrent against the Turkic countries.
That seems like our only option at this point. We need nuclear warheads.
Not sadly but joyfully. I look forward to the day when we have nuclear weapons and the will to use them. Only then our two terrorist and genocidal neighboring states, both created artificially by destruction and displacement of the indigenous populations and seizure of their ancestral homelands, will sober up and come to their senses. They have a very large appetite for other people’s properties and we must put an end to that by any and all means at our disposal. Followed by retaliation for their crimes and the liberation of every inch of Armenian territory under their occupation.
Do not forger western countries blame armenia havin good relations with lran also lf lran make nuclear weapons nato will allow turks to have nuclear weapon to make balance against lran if we armenia choose our side along to lran we must forget western help or be like lsrael then armenians in arab states will be open target for radicals
As an aside it seems likely the mask rule (which is rather passe now) in the ICJ is because they are one world government creeps. If Iran with far more resources has trouble reaching nuclear power then for Armenia its delusional and such unattainable fantasies only give false hope and the despondency of reality. Also as for nuclear weapons whilst there the big stick aspect if nuclear weapons are never ever used then they become a grave folly. Not to mention a nuclear arms race either! Turkey which is likely to be resentful of Iranian nuclear weapons cannot have a programme of its own as a NATO member. Putin’s Russia that likes to be all things to everyone finds itself nothing to no one. To the Armenians it has let them down to the Azeris its interfering in their country, not a basis for sustainable creditablity and its Ukraine problems further that greatly. Whilst Pashinyan might have thrown Armenian defence, those with commanding experience of the 1991 – 94 conflict where likely to have been an old guard and experts in the last war. Far too many Armenians thought before 2020 because they had won against the odds it meant that they would be able to do it again on that basis. Also there is the victor syndrome where there isn’t the incentive to modernise whereas the defeated is more open to new ideas.
Having nuclear warheads is one thing then you have to be able to launch them. You’ll need a rocket program. Armenia is also a signatory to the treaty which gives it many advantages. You’ll loose all those for starters. Also news will get out and it will create a mess. Azeri will attack. Russia won’t allow it anyways, aren’t the plants controlled by Russia? Armenians should focus on their birth rates. Government can offer incentives for child birth, etc. Your just in a bad location geographically. Look at things from the bright side, how many people’s have come and gone but you guys are still around? Everything can suddenly get better the conditions just have to be right. IMO you should focus on the future, work your butts off and make Armenia a better nation.
If there is one country in the world that deserves a nuclear deterrent, it is Armenia who faced and continues to face total extermination, but how delusional are we to believe the world powers will allow that to happen? The wiser course of action is to rid Armenia of traitors, reduce corruption, and have realistic diplomacy that serves the best interests of the Armenian Nation, and this includes having good relations with diaspora for practical repatriation and growth.
Those that criticize the past leaders are still in denial that, while they were corrupt and thieves, the close relations to Russia prevented Turkey and Azerbaijan attacking Armenia. Why is it any surprise or causing anger that Putin and Russia decided to abandon the Armenian people when its citizens decided to vote, twice, for a government led by Pashinyan that is anti-Russia and going above and beyond to weaken Armenia?
Is it any coincidence that the blockade started shortly after Nancy Pelosi visited Armenia? What did we get in return from that visit besides continuing to anger Russia? After her crocodile tears session at the genocide memorial, she headed to congress waiving the Artsakh flag and sent billions in aid. Oh, that’s right, that was for Ukraine.
When you follow the enemies of Armenia, you will find policy papers about the dissolution of the Russian Federation and NATO/Turkish control of the Caucasus region. That is what they want to happen in the immediate decades and are terrified of a powerful Russia, and China. Throughout history Armenians have been used and abused, and yet most of us still do not get it. Go all the way back to the time of the genocide when Jews were coveting Palestine from the Ottomans to the Europeans coveting the Caucasian and Caspian natural resources.
When will Armenians finally wake up to the sad reality that our enemies are not only Turks, but Western powers, Europeans, Americans, etc. They may not hate us, but they do not care for us, and use us to achieve their goals. History repeats and you find it again and again, including the Crusaders who killed Armenians too, but rarely do you hear that part of the story. It annoys me to no end when most Armenians and organizations mention Christianity as if that has any relevance.
We can disappear tomorrow without a care in the world. They only cater to us with the illusion and theater of support because most politicians like to get votes from the vast diaspora. Sorry to shatter the false reality of assimilated and brainwashed Armenians. The genocide continues with each new passing generation.
There’re signed agreements between Armenia & Russia, as well as between Armenia & CSTO; in both cases Armenia’s allies failed to honor the alliance agreements, whether we’re talking about th 2020 War, but certainly since then, Russia and the CSTO refuse to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its sins. You might ask, “What sins?” Well for starters, how about the invasion of UN recognized Armenia, in 2022, or the failure to hold Azerbaijan accountable for besieging Artsakh’s logistical connections to the outside world. Russia is like an abusive husband, threatening terrible things.
Are you slow in the head?
Yes the fantastic previous leaders which bled the country of a million people? Yes, that’s exemplary nation building.
The blockade wasn’t shortly after Pelosis visit, but 3 months later. It was that visit which cemented US commitment to blocking further Azeri incursions into Armenia proper.
You know what preceded the lachin blockade? Russian troops laying the red carpet for then. You know what preceded the September incursions? Russians laying the red carpet for them.
Grow up
Bravo Levon!
@ Concerned Armenian
Remember if Armenia was to unify with Russia as you so earnestly support the prospect of that Yerevan as a regional capital would automatically divolve its foreign policies to Moscow who has fairly good; full diplomatic relationships with Ankara and Baku – an unexpected change for Armenia. It was Moscow who signed away western Armenia to Turkey and assigned Arktash to Azerbaijan as they apparently know Armenias interests better than Armenians. Pashinyan “the anti Russia” might be selling out to Turkey and Azerbaijan but as Russia has cordial relations with both anyway what is the difference?
Armenian Christianity came from Syria and Georgian Christianity is closest to it
Armenians are closest racially to the Greeks
Armenians closest neighbouring people are the Iranians
There is no reason for Armenia to define its identity like Ukraine is currently doing but no reason to infatuate with Russia either
Levon, you are right about Armenian destiny and what it caused. Finally, somebody gave a sincere explanation!
Iran is the only true ally of Armenia.
When you defend a country to defend yourself you are not an ally in the true sense of the word. It is just that your interests overlap with those of the country you have no choice but to defend. The relationship between Iran and Armenia can realistically be characterized as the proverbial the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Iran and Armenia have the same Turkish and pseudo-Turkish enemies in common. Iran has no choice but to defend Armenia by defending the territorial integrity of Armenia because Armenia stands as a wall between our and their common enemies acting as an obstacle in their unification which Iran has to try to avoid at any cost. Even though the majority of a sizable Turkish-speaking Iranian nationals are fully integrated into the Iranian society there is still a sizable separatist minority among them that under right conditions can pose a threat to Iran. As a reminder, during the 2020 joint Turkish-Azerbaijani undeclared terroristic war on the Armenians, the slogan of this separatist group inside Iran was ‘Rus, Fars, Ermeni Azerbaijan dushmani’ which basically says the enemies of Azerbaijan are the Russians, the Persians and the Armenians.
Furthermore, the foreign ambassador of your TRUE ally, Javad Zarif at the time, would not have congratulated your enemy’s terrorist-in-chief Aliyev the chicken-hawk ‘khan’ of Baku for his seizure of liberated Armenian territories on his first visit to Baku after the war which coward Aliyev, who was MIA in the 1990s war, bought and paid with petrodollars. He would have abstained from making such a remark and remained neutral in the least. The real reason why today Iran is so determined and has militarily displayed its commitment to its words against Azerbaijani demands and aggression in the Iran-Armenia border region, other than defending its own interests, is because of the close relations between the criminal and morally-bankrupt Azerbaijani and Israeli leaderships, Israel today replacing Russia for most weapons deliveries to Azerbaijan, and the military presence of Israel on Azerbaijani-occupied Armenian territories in the south bordering Iran and that primarily for the purpose of taking out Iranian nuclear facilities.
Last but not least, for the leadership of the Islamic republic of Iran ‘karabakh’ is neither Armenian nor Azerbaijani land. It is ‘Islamic land’ whatever the heck that means which in many ways reminds me of the recent conversion of 4th century Basilica of Eastern Orthodox Christianity into a mosque, the Greek Hagia Sophia in occupied Constantinople, by the Islamo-fascist Turkish mullah and terrorist-in-chief Erdogan. Let’s not fool ourselves!