Azerbaijani Forces Close Armenia-Iran-Persian Gulf Highway

Turkologist Varujan Geghamyan has published a post on his Telegram channel regarding the closure of the Goris-Kapan highway by Azerbaijani forces last night.

“Last night, Azerbaijani forces closed the Goris-Kapan (which is also the Armenia-Iran-Persian Gulf) highway, and it remains closed to this moment. This is how Azerbaijan is implementing the 'transportation unblocking of the region.'

◾️ After the disgrace of November 9, the capitulator and his team present as a major achievement that transportation communications in the region will be opened. The de facto pro-Turkish government of Armenia presents this not only as a 'long-term guarantee of peace' but also as a mutually beneficial economic opportunity.

◾️ Meanwhile, Azerbaijan is not interested in any transportation unblocking. They have no problems with opening roads; Azerbaijan has all the necessary roads for normal development (except for the 'Turkish corridor'). Any transport hub with Armenia has no military or economic significance for Azerbaijan and cannot have one.

Azerbaijan understands two things under the term 'unblocking': 1. The opening of a special-status road through Syunik to Nakhchivan/Turkey (which the capitulator agreed to on November 9, but to which we are successfully resisting). 2. Control by Turkey over all external roads of Armenia.

◾️ Currently, we have only two roads connecting us to the outside world that are nominally not yet under Turkish control. One goes through Tavush to Georgia, and the other through Syunik to Iran. The latter has already been fully controlled by Azerbaijan since last night. After the surrender of the Tavush enclaves, our road to Georgia will also be under control. As a result, we will not have unblockage but complete blockade.

◾️ Now let's imagine that Armenia fulfills Azerbaijan's demands: handing over the corridor, the enclaves, and in return, Azerbaijan allows Armenian vehicles to go to Iran or Russia (in reality, this has almost no economic benefit, but let’s imagine). At any moment, Azerbaijan can close the road to extract new concessions from Armenia (their list of territorial demands reaches approximately to Nor Norq). Just like they did last night. In Azerbaijan, 'Armenian unblocking' means 'the complete blockade of Armenia,' which will cause Armenia to lose any opportunity for independent development.

◾️ This straightforward and simultaneously realistic plan is being implemented by Azerbaijan (with the active participation of Turkey), and at this moment, they are conquering the road, forcing us to make concessions. Anyone who wants to have an Armenian state in 10 years must recognize this simple reality and demand at all costs to stop this decline. This includes removing the de facto government that either does not see or does not want to acknowledge this serious threat.

P.S. Attached is a map of the 'North-South' transport hub, which the enemies of Armenia and Iran are working against, and part of which our neighbors closed last night.