{"id":310355,"date":"2026-11-04T10:05:24","date_gmt":"2026-11-04T06:05:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abcmedia.am\/?p=310355"},"modified":"2026-11-04T10:34:51","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T06:34:51","slug":"us-sanctions-on-iran-put-armenias-balancing-act-to-the-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abcmedia.am\/en\/politics\/310355\/","title":{"rendered":"US sanctions on Iran put Armenia\u2019s balancing act to the test"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Armenia is now the only country in the South Caucasus still letting Iranian airlines fly in, Amwaj.media<\/a> writes.<\/p>\n

The unilateral US sanctions were announced on Sept. 8 and have been fully in force since Sept. 23, when a wind-down period ended. They threaten any entity providing services to Iranian carriers. Georgia and Azerbaijan have moved to comply with US demands to halt flights to and from Iran, and Armenia is now one of the few countries where Iranian airlines still operate.<\/p>\n

Armenia relies heavily on its southern neighbor for transit, energy and trade, with bilateral trade reaching around 770M USD in 2025. Iran has long been an economic and strategic lifeline for Yerevan.<\/p>\n

Tehran’s importance grew after the 2020 war, as relations between Baku and Yerevan deteriorated and Iran positioned itself as a counterweight to what it saw as threats to the regional balance of power in the South Caucasus. Suspending Iranian flights would therefore mean more than a change in athe civil viation sector. It could signal that Yerevan is willing to accommodate US pressure at the expense of one of its most important regional partnerships.<\/p>\n

The new US restrictions could reshape Iran’s regional connectivity. If direct flights to neighboring countries keep shrinking, Armenia may become more important as an alternative gateway into the South Caucasus. Yerevan could also become a transit point for passengers heading on to Georgia and beyond, now that Tbilisi has stopped direct Iranian flights.<\/p>\n

The same could apply to trade. Restrictions on Iranian aviation do not remove demand for regional movement. Indeed, if anything, they could shift some traffic to land corridors. In that vein, Armenia could become a more important route for Iranian goods and passengers seeking access to the South Caucasus and the Black Sea.<\/p>\n

The picture is further complicated by a new corridor brokered by US President Donald Trump—the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP). Armenian officials have presented the route as a chance for Iran to join an emerging regional network, rather than as a project aimed against Tehran.<\/p>\n

The Islamic Republic opposes TRIPP, particularly over the presence of US personnel and the potential erosion of its strategic position along the border. In September, Iran reportedly warned Pashinyan that American personnel deployed along the route would be considered “legitimate targets” in the event of a conflict.<\/p>\n

Armenian compliance with US sanctions could harden Iran’s position on TRIPP further. As such, for Yerevan, the question of whether to sidestep Washington’s aviation restrictions is not simply about whether to let Iranian airlines keep flying in. It is about managing ties with Tehran while seeking closer integration with the US and greater western involvement in its regional infrastructure.<\/p>\n

The more Iran’s regional air links are disrupted, the more valuable Armenia becomes as an alternative gateway. Yet this puts greater pressure on Yerevan to choose between keeping that role and avoiding a confrontation with Washington.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"