Gagik Mansurov: National Security and Interests are Iran’s Red Lines
Gagik Mansurov warned Russia that national security and interests are Iran’s red lines and Russia should know this.
Gagik Mansurov, representative of Armenians in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, in his recent remarks, while referring to disputes over what the Republic of Azerbaijan calls “Western Zangezur,” stated: “Russia only thinks about the interests it has in its own country. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov declares that we have red lines that everyone must respect. Certainly, Iran also has red lines that encompass our country’s security and national interests, and we will not allow any country to undermine our interests and security.”
He also emphasized in his remarks that geopolitical changes in the Caucasus, particularly on the Iran-Armenia border, are also among Iran’s red lines, and added: “Iran and Russia have good cooperation with each other and are coordinated in terms of economic, military, and logistical cooperation; however, Russia and all countries must know that national security and interests, which are part of Iran’s red lines, are not subject to negotiation and change.
The Iran-Armenia border is also one of the oldest international borders, and if changes are made to the border and border elimination occurs, Iran will certainly show a strong reaction, and everyone knows this.”
Gagik Mansurov added regarding Iran’s military defense of its borders: “The Islamic Republic, as a ‘revisionist’ actor in the international system and opposed to Western presence on its northern borders, has repeatedly opposed the formation of NATO’s Turanian corridor and, through conducting numerous military exercises, has sent the message to the Azerbaijani side that if there is an intention to change the border lines of Iran and Armenia, Tehran will defend its national interests with all its might.”
Mr. Mansurov, emphasizing the significant increase in tensions between Iran and the Zionist regime in the region, continued: “It appears that regional and extra-regional actors intend to exploit this situation and change international borders in this region. Therefore, it is necessary to remind the active actors in the South Caucasus equations that the Islamic Republic of Iran has the capacity to focus on multiple different fronts and, if necessary, will take necessary measures to preserve peace and security in the region.
The economic border of the North-South Corridor is the Iran-Armenia border, and through entering the Armenian border, we can have close economic cooperation with Eurasian countries, and we can also have the transfer of economic goods to Europe through this route. Therefore, this corridor is considered an important economic pathway for Iran. With the elimination and erasure of the border, one neighboring country would be lost to Iran, and this is part of Iran’s serious red lines. However, Russia has no need for this corridor and this corridor could even pose a serious threat to Russia, because if this corridor were under any sovereignty other than Armenia, NATO could gain access to the Caucasus, Iran’s borders, and the Caspian Sea.”
He concluded and emphasized his remarks, stating: “Russia must know that when dividing its economic interests, it must also respect the interests and security of other countries. Also, Russia in two instances has rejected Iran’s red lines, which include the three islands, the Caucasus issue, and the Zangezur corridor. Russia is seeking to gain sovereignty and control of this corridor, and Armenia and Yerevan have distanced themselves from Moscow in recent years, and this is considered a serious threat to Armenia and the Caucasus.”
