Iran's perceived geopolitical concerns regarding the implementation of article 9 of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Armistice Agreement (2020)

One of the significant geopolitical developments in the South Caucasus following the collapse of the Soviet Union was the conflict between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Karabakh issue, which resulted in two wars. The first Karabakh war, lasting from 1988 to 1994, ended with Azerbaijan's defeat. The second war, from September 27, 2020, to November 10, 2020, concluded with a ceasefire agreement brokered by Russia, with the cooperation of the Red Cross and other international organizations. Article 9 of the November 10, 2020, agreement stipulated the unblocking of all economic and transport communication axes of interest to the parties in the region. Armenia was obligated to ensure the unimpeded movement of citizens, vehicles, and goods in both directions and to guarantee the security of transport communications between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The Russian Border Guard Service would oversee control of these transport communications. Iran is concerned that the creation of a corridor through Armenia's 40-kilometer Syunik (or Zangezur) border with Iran could eliminate the shared border between the two countries, potentially diminishing Iran's geopolitical importance regarding transport corridors and bring about new security concerns for Tehran. This article analyzes Iran's perceived geopolitical concerns regarding the implementation of Article 9 of the above-mentioned peace agreement.