strait-talk

Armenia, Iran Agree to Double Gas Trade Amid Tensions with Azerbaijan

Earlier this month, Armenia and Iran signed a gas deal that will see the doubling of Iranian gas exports to its northern neighbor. The agreement came during Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan's visit to Tehran, where he met with Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi. But energy wasn't the only topic on their agenda. During their joint press conference, President Raisi made clear that Tehran was closely watching the situation in the South Caucasus. Raisi said Iran was sensitive to developments in the region, and denounced foreign interference, saying it made the situation worse. Renewed border clashes broke out in September, between Azerbaijan and Armenia, that killed more than 200 people, mostly soldiers. Iran has called for a diplomatic solution to those disputes, but its own ties with Azerbaijan have worsened in recent months. In October, Iran held large military drills near Azerbaijan's border in what many called a warning to Baku and its proposal for creating a transport link that would pass along Armenia's border with Iran. Guests: Shahmar Hajiyev Political Analyst Murat Aslan Faculty Member at Hasan Kalyoncu University

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