Iran and Armenia continue their warm relations

After USSR dissolution Armenia has always had problems with its neighbors -except Iran- due to its regaining policy. These problems have remained unsolved 18 years after independence.

Currently the country can’t use its borders with Azerbaijan for transportation and because of its differences with Turkey, especially on the Armenian Genocide during the Ottoman rule, it can’t use its borders with Turkey either. Although the country wishes to use its northern borders shared with Georgia, unrest in that country has also made this impossible. That’s why relations with Iran have become increasingly important for Armenia.

Despite geopolitical weakness which influences its ties with other countries, Armenia has still other means to play a more decisive role in the region. Armenia and Iran tend to reinforce bilateral ties to create a balance against Azerbaijan-Turkey axis and Iran is smartly using its regional influence to outperform Trukey in Caucusia.

Although Armenia claims to be a strategic ally of Russia, but the aids it receives from United States -which put it in the second position after Israel- are not comparable at all with the aids it receives from Russia. It also looks like the way United States treats Armenia is different from its behavior towards Azerbaijan and the superpower shows tolerance towards Armenia-Iran relations. With escalation of tensions between Iran and America on Iran’s nuclear program, there were talks on deployment of NATO troops in Armenia, but Sergei Serkisian, the Armenian F.M. stated that such a measure was impossible, even in the worst conditions. And while United States asks for Baku’s permission to establish military bases in its territory, Armenia has never faced such demands.

It seems what the United States is most concerned about is cooperation between Muslim countries of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran rather than the ties between Christians of Tehran and Yerevan.

The Armenian community keeps a high-profile in the United States. On 16th of December 2002 United States enforced a counter-terrorism law against countries allegedly supporting international terrorism, Armenian included as the only Christian country. America believed that Armenian bank system was financially supporting terrorists. Following this, Tygran Sargsyan, the Armenian Prime Minister, surprisingly promised boosting its ties with Iran.

The law was carried out against all 16+ Armenians that were a resident of or a traveler to U.S. Of course the main reason Armenia was put on the list by this post-9/11 law -which mainly targeted countries such as Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Syria and Pakistan- was the Armenian passport of Afghan terrorists who had entered U.S. soil.

The law was abrogated for Armenian citizens since 18th December 2002 for the great many problems it had caused Armenian citizens and Armenian immigrants of America. The abrogation was an evidence of the influence the Armenian community had within the United States.

Moving back to Armenia-Iran ties, we have to mention that Yerevan-Tehran economic cooperation has also increased within the recent years and Iran is going to construct a refinery in Armenia. The joint project will definitely increase Iran’s regional power, but surprisingly there have been no direct protests by United States -who had previously objected the gas contract between Iran and Turkey.

The big power will not probably remain silent in such a situation and its discontent may be expressed through limiting financial aids to Armenia or supporting Azerbaijan’s stance in Nagorno-Karabakh dispute. However, Armenians’ behavior shows that their foreign policy doesn’t depend on the United States and their priorities are Iran and Russia.