Armenia
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan launched a sweeping security operation on Wednesday, following a social media post in which he claimed to have obtained insider information about an alleged coup plot within the opposition. The post, published through his “Civic” media outlet, suggested that trusted sources had revealed a detailed, multi-phase plan to overthrow the government, complete with assigned personnel and logistical resources.
Acting on this information, Armenian law enforcement and security services launched a coordinated series of raids targeting members of the opposition group Srpazan Baykar (“Sacred Struggle”) and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF). According to the Investigative Committee of Armenia, more than 90 searches were conducted across the country by investigators, supported by agents from the National Security Service (NSS) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Authorities claim the raids uncovered a wide range of materials linked to preparations for an unlawful seizure of power. These include firearms, military-grade ammunition, detailed operational plans, lists of recruited individuals, radio communication devices, drones, smoke grenades and military uniforms. They also claimed to have found documents listing individuals selected for key government posts in the event of a successful coup, as well as chronologically organized blueprints outlining plans for operations.
Following these discoveries, prosecutors approved public criminal proceedings against 16 individuals. As of Wednesday evening, 14 suspects have been arrested, including leader of the “Tavush for the Homeland” movement Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan and ARF Supreme Council member Igor Sargsyan, with further detentions expected as the investigation progresses.
Kristine Vardanyan, a member of Armenia’s National Assembly from the opposition “Hayastan” faction, has criticized what she describes as a deliberate effort by authorities to manipulate public perception through the dissemination of misleading images.
In a public statement, Vardanyan accused law enforcement of attempting to instill fear in the population by releasing staged photographs of weapons allegedly linked to an opposition-led coup plot. “What does it take to frighten a war-weary and traumatized public? Images of weapons—lots of them,” she said, calling the presentation a calculated media tactic.
However, Vardanyan noted that in several of the released photos, legal documentation for the firearms is clearly visible. “They went to the home of a legal gun owner—someone who hunts—and photographed his licensed weapons. Now, they want to convince the public that this individual intended to carry out acts of terrorism with a hunting rifle,” she stated.
She further criticized what she called the “sloppy” nature of the operation, pointing out that the photos included spent ammunition. “They’re trying to create a dramatic image by including photos of bullets, but if you look closely, you’ll see the cartridges have already been fired. So, now people are being accused of plotting terrorist acts with discharged hunting rounds.”
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has accused Armenia of being a “war criminal state.” He asserted that Azerbaijan is well-acquainted with the realities of war, citing the prolonged “occupation” of Azerbaijani territories prior to the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. “Our lands were under occupation for many years, and during the Second Karabakh War, Armenia not only targeted our cities, villages and residential areas with heavy fire, but even went so far as to launch missiles at Mingachevir,” Aliyev said. “This was an act of aggression against civilians and civilian infrastructure—this is a war crime.” The president further accused Armenia of systematically destroying Azerbaijani settlements and shelling areas far beyond the active conflict zone.
Iran
Iran’s parliament has approved a bill to temporarily suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in a move signaling heightened tensions over the country’s nuclear program. The decision comes just days after a ceasefire was announced between Iran and Israel on Monday, following weeks of escalating regional conflict. According to Iranian MP Alireza Salimi, the legislation prohibits IAEA inspectors from accessing Iranian nuclear facilities, unless the Islamic Republic’s security concerns are addressed and its right to peaceful nuclear activity is explicitly guaranteed.
Russia
Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov has responded to reports from Yerevan regarding an alleged coup attempt. He stated that the developments are an internal matter for Armenia, but emphasized that Moscow is closely monitoring the situation. “This is an internal issue for Armenia. We are interested in the preservation of legality and stability in the country, and in Armenia remaining a friendly and prosperous state,” Peskov said.
Peskov also confirmed that Russia is maintaining direct contact with Armenian authorities, including in relation to the recent arrest of businessman Samvel Karapetyan. He underscored Moscow’s commitment to supporting the rule of law in Armenia and reiterated the importance of maintaining strong, cooperative ties between the two countries. Addressing broader regional concerns, Peskov expressed hope that tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan would not escalate further.
I bet, Pashinyan himself has concocted this outrageous coup d’état allegation by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan against himself, in order to silence anyone who opposes him and who he sees as a threat, taking a leaf straight out of Erdogan’s playbook. That a single person, the Armenian Apostolic Church, opposition political parties or NGOs could launch a coup d’état, is laughable and absurd in the extreme. Only militaries, paramilitaries or ruling leaders themselves can launch a coup d’état – those who control the levers of power and have access to weapons. Do the Armenian Apostolic Church, opposition political parties or NGOs have military divisions at their disposal?! It just shows how paranoid and unhinged Pashinyan has become. That Catholicos Karekin II could be Pashinyan’s next and prime target, is very much possible, since he sees him as the biggest threat to his rule. Pashinyan may well be concocting a plot to arrest, charge and convict Karekin as the “chief instigator” of his concocted coup d’état allegation, in order to purge the Armenian Apostolic Church and to fully control it, as well as to destroy opposition political parties and NGOs, and imprison anyone he sees as a threat.
Let’s not kid ourselves. The tell signs of Pashinyan’s creeping authoritarianism were there, initially beneath the surface, but which steadily became more apparent, the more he amassed power and planted his supporters in the bureaucracy and in all state institutions, including the judiciary. Now that he controls all the institutions of the state, including the judiciary, which he uses as a weapon to silence and intimidate the opposition, his authoritarianism is out all in the open. His “democratic credentials” turned out to be a farce and were a ruse, in order to come to power, which was his main goal after all, exactly emulating Erdogan. Pashinyan is an autocrat and a dictator.
Sounds like the US Project 2025 of Trump and his cohorts has arrived in Armenia – the playbook of authoritarians everywhere. I am scared for the Armenian church and its clergy
That’s rich coming from the mouth of the gross human rights abuser, ethnic cleanser, war monger and war criminal Aliyev, who has bombarded, terrorized, starved and ethnically cleansed all Armenians from Artsakh, and is now engaging in a cultural Armenian Genocide in Artsakh, is himself shelling and terrorizing Armenian border towns and villages, and is occupying 200 square kilometers of Armenian territory. He doesn’t even hide his genocidal intent of wanting to wipe Armenia from the map and of getting rid of all Armenians from their homeland, and yet he has the audacity to call Armenia a “war criminal state”. Even though this bloodthirsty Azerbaijani dictator is the real and biggest threat Armenia is facing, the extremely unpatriotic Pashinyan regards Armenian patriots as the biggest threat and persecutes them. And the coward and appeaser Pashinyan is in a hurry to make peace with this guy!