Within the South Caucasus, the drone attack on Azerbaijan has left visible damage and exposed the vulnerability of Nakhichevan, whose air and land transit depend on Iran. One alternative could be Turkey’s Igdir province, potentially increasing Azerbaijani reliance on routes through Armenia.
Developments in Armenia
On March 16, Armenia’s minister of education, science, culture and sports, Zhanna Andreasyan, said discussions are ongoing with Iran on various cultural and educational initiatives, including the teaching of Persian as a regional language in Armenia.
Meanwhile, regarding population movement, on March 17, Armenian Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan said there are no large numbers of Iranian Armenians moving to Armenia, adding that no concrete figures are yet available. In the same context, on March 18, the chairman of the State Revenue Committee said, “We are following the dynamics every day. The movement of people and cargo [at the Armenian-Iranian border] is almost at the same levels as before.”
On March 17, the Iranian Embassy in Armenia said the Islamic Republic was in dire need of medicines and medical supplies. The embassy added: “In response to numerous calls from our compatriots living in Armenia, as well as Armenian friends, for financial and humanitarian — especially medical — assistance, we hereby inform that the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran has expressed its readiness to urgently receive any necessary medicines and medical supplies from individuals, humanitarian organizations, medical equipment suppliers, pharmaceutical companies and rescue organizations.”
From an economic standpoint, Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan and Central Bank Governor Martin Galstyan said that if the war ends quickly, Armenia’s economic stability will not be affected. However, further escalation, based on current figures, could lead to inflation of 1.2% to 1.7%. In terms of energy cooperation, on March 18, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan said electricity exports from Armenia to Iran have continued steadily, indicating that Armenia reported a 2.5 billion kilowatt-hour electricity production surplus in 2025, facilitating exports to Georgia and Iran. At the security level, on March 20, Defense Minister Suren Papikyan said the ministry is continuously evaluating the security situation to ensure Armenia’s safety.
At the political level, On March 19, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran does not need to appeal to us regarding humanitarian aid, because if we see any humanitarian need that we can support, we will take that step ourselves.” On March 23, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan rejected claims that Armenia had failed to provide humanitarian assistance to Iran, stating that Yerevan had in fact delivered aid — primarily medical supplies — and emphasizing that such support reflects longstanding bilateral ties, even if not always publicly highlighted.
ARF Armenia Supreme Body member and Armenia Alliance lawmaker Arthur Khachatryan, speaking at the European Parliament, said that TRIPP in its current form will not be able to break Armenia’s encircled border constraints. He added that peace cannot be possible while occupying forces remain on Armenian soil.
Evacuations continue steadily via Armenia
On March 16, India thanked Armenia for facilitating the evacuation of 550 Indian nationals from Iran through Yerevan, a figure that rose to 900 by March 19. At the same time, young Iranians are traveling through Armenia to return home during the war, with some arriving via Turkey due to limited flight options and rising costs. Overall, citizens of 52 countries have been evacuated from Iran through Armenia, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The situation in Lebanon
Meanwhile, the situation in Lebanon continues to escalate. The state-run National News Agency reported that the death toll has risen to 1,029, with 2,786 others injured. The number of displaced people has reached 134,377, while the number of shelters stands at 644.
Amid these developments, ARF Lebanon Central Committee Chairman Alber Balabanian said the targeted areas had a relatively small Armenian population and that the Nabaa strike was located on the outskirts of Bourj Hammoud.
Shameful.
Utterly shameful.
Despite all the prejudice, discrimination, bigotry and hatred that the Armenians in Iran suffer, they still prefer to live there rather than come home to Armenia.
They want to be dhimmis.
Yes, indeed. According to Sharia law, all non-Muslim Iranian citizens, including Armenians, are officially “dhimmis”, meaning second-class citizens with fewer rights. Those Iranian Armenians who want to stay in Iran and support the Islamist regime that actively discriminates them, suffer from Stockholm syndrome.
The same is also true for the Istanbul Armenians. Although the Republic of Turkey officially declared itself “secular” and abolished Sharia law in the 1920s, the then-new Turkish Republic has continued to apply the “dhimmi” status of its predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, to its non-Muslim citizens, including of course Armenians. Armenians (along with the Jews and Greeks) are second-class citizens who are actively discriminated, humiliated, and shunned by the Turkish state and society. However, many of them suffer from Stockholm Syndrome towards their abusive Turkish masters and cannot even contemplate leaving that cursed city, destined to be destroyed by the impending megaquake, and that cursed nation that massacred more than half of the entire Armenian nation during the Armenian Genocide.
No one should beat around the bush and dare to whitewash these two awful regimes.
This news hasn’t appeared in Armenian Weekly, but it absolutely should, because that despicable Pashinyan shouted at and insulted an Artsakh woman refugee in the Yerevan Metro. His arrogance, self-righteousness, cockiness and lecturing, are unbearable.
https://news.am/eng/news/938074.html
Thanks, Steve.
Just when you think you hate Pashinyan enough, he gives you reasons to hate him even more.
Armenian culture respects women.
Of course, Pashinyan insults women.
He has a guilty conscience for his abandonment of Artsakh.
@Robert Whig
I wholeheartedly agree with you, except for the last sentence. I don’t think that Pashinyan has any guilty conscience at all.
Steve,
If we take Soghomon Tehlirian as the perfect Armenian – strong, decisive and ruthless then Pashinyan is very the exact opposite.
Pashinyan is, in fact, the anti-Armenian.
💯
Iran is the least anti Armenian of Armenia’s neighbours yet the pro Russian commentators despite Iran being benign to Armenia and cordial with Russia seem to be full of insults for that country. Perhaps Iran is yet another friendly country to Russia that Russia will betray and then abandon and to use as collateral for its own purposes in it’s ingratiations with powerful rivals such as USA Israel Turkey. Armenians enjoy freedom of belief and worship without any pressure to apostatise, protected seat in parliament, not subject to discriminatory taxes, there’s next to no government sponsored anti Armenia sentiments in Iran. Yet pro Russian Armenians here seem to be expressing the most vehement hatred of Iran all of a sudden…
Agree. Iran is the only friendly neighbor we have.
Agreed about Iran.
Iran is the ONLY real ally Armenia has. Don’t blow it.