I R A N

[Yervant1]

Nour News, Iran

Oct 19 2024

 

Iran welcomes progress in Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks

 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has welcomed the progress in the process of peace negotiations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Araghchi was speaking at the 3+3 South Caucasus Regional Cooperation Platform in Istanbul, Türkiye, on Friday.

The third meeting of the 3+3 South Caucasus Regional Cooperation Platform was held in Istanbul with the participation of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, and the Russian Federation.

The meeting was concluded with a joint declaration released by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It said the primary objective of this platform is to enhance multilateral cooperation in the South Caucasus, based on mutual benefit and guided by the principle of regional ownership.

The meeting addressed matters regarding the establishment of lasting peace and stability, as well as regional development in the South Caucasus. An exchange of views was also held on deepening regional cooperation through concrete projects.

The joint declaration emphasized the contributions of regional economic cooperation to confidence building between countries, as well as to prosperity and stability. It was agreed to explore cooperation opportunities in the fields of transport, communication, trade, energy, investment, and connectivity.

The declaration also underscored the importance of promoting peace and stability in the region through dialogue.

Araghchi termed the 3+3 regional cooperation mechanism as a symbol of the will of these countries to resolve regional issues by the regional countries.

Welcoming Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks, Araghchi said Iran respects the countries’ territorial integrity, national sovereignty, and internationally recognized borders, as well as avoiding resorting to or threatening to use force as requirements for lasting peace in the region.

Referring to the ongoing brutal crimes committed by the Zionist regime in Gaza and Lebanon, he censured the silence of the US and some Western countries as a symbol of hypocrisy.

IRNA

https://nournews.ir/en/news/194743/Iran-welcomes-progress-in-Armenia-Azerbaijan-peace-talks

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Iran11:25, 26 October 2024

Israel strikes Iran ,Tehran says damage 'limited'

Read the article in: العربيةفارسیFrançaisՀայերենРусский

 

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Israel struck military sites in Iran early on Saturday, saying it was retaliating against Tehran's strikes on Israel this month.

Hours later the Israeli military said its strikes had been completed and its objectives achieved, Reuters reports.

Iranian media reported multiple explosions over several hours in the capital and at nearby military bases, starting shortly after 2 a.m. (2230 GMT on Friday).

Before dawn, Israel's public broadcaster said three waves of strikes had been completed and that the operation was over.

Iran said its air defence system successfully countered Israel's attacks on military targets in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam with "limited damage" to some locations.

"In response to months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel – right now the Israel Defense Forces is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran," Israel's military said in a statement announcing the attack.

The military said later it had completed its "targeted" attacks in Iran, striking truck missile manufacturing facilities and surface-to-aerial equipment, adding its planes had safely returned home.

"If the regime in Iran were to make the mistake of beginning a new round of escalation, we will be obligated to respond," the Israeli military said.

Videos carried by Iranian media showed air defences continuously firing at apparently incoming projectiles in central Tehran.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1203280?fbclid=IwY2xjawGKHLpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHazYVh_OTFlHzIMY_pcw6lK_AYTz8cViz3Nj-4dj2lCni6IHG1CaNUMtew_aem_SCre7flAbkC_ZnwY0Kvw_A

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Iran12:30, 26 October 2024

Iran denies Israeli claim on striking 20 targets

Read the article in: فارسیՀայերենРусский

 

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Iranian official media dismissed the Israeli claim that it targeted 20 targets across Iran and said that Israel is seeking to “overplay its weak attack.”

Israel struck military sites in Iran early on Saturday, saying it was retaliating against Tehran's strikes on Israel this month. 

Tasnim news agency, citing a source, reported that the Israeli military's claim that it targeted 20 locations across Iran is untrue and that the number of locations targeted by Israel is significantly lower. 

The Israeli attack caused limited damages, Tasnim reported.

The source also confirmed a previous report from Tasnim that none of the military centers of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps in Tehran has been targeted.

“The reports alleging that 100 Israeli military planes have had a role in the strike are also complete lies, as Israel is seeking to overplay its weak attack,” the source told Tasnim.

 

 

 

• Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1203287?fbclid=IwY2xjawGKHUVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQXb3PIuq3tpEgZ2J-VT7yq9ACXRXB4IRbqJHNfH4L2FSJYEY4ISDaHG4Q_aem_4azTiGNCRm2G9EI4hKo-vA

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Iran14:02, 26 October 2024

Iran announces right to respond to Israel under UN Charter

Read the article in: فارسیՀայերենРусский

 

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Iran has condemned the Israeli attacks on its military facilities and announced that it has the right to respond.

In a statement, the Iranian foreign ministry said it “strongly condemns Israel’s aggressive actions against Iran’s military centers and considers it an explicit violation of international law and the UN Charter.”

It added that pursuant to its right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter, Iran is entitled and obliged to defend itself from foreign aggression.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1203298?fbclid=IwY2xjawGKHaJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHR0xz1xANXMbEul6G66ALPVT85hZCTOxAi948ItNe-tb9wI_B8VuhpLpcw_aem_PqrsKolLxd3mfZoQj2y2iA

[MosJan]

 

 

Gen. Keane: The damage to Iran is beyond what's being reported

 

[Yervant1]

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Armenpress.am

 

Politics13:06, 7 November 2024

Iran opposes any geopolitical change and extraterritoriality, says envoy

Read the article in: العربيةفارسیՀայերենРусский

 

KAPAN, NOVEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Iran supports the unblocking of connections based on Armenia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, the Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani has said.

Sobhani was commenting on the Azeri narrative of so-called Zangezur Corridor. “We don’t want to use that word,” Sobhani told reporters in the Armenian town of Kapan. “We support the opening of connections in case it happens based on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia. Besides, we oppose anything that has a logic of a [extraterritorial] corridor. We oppose any geopolitical change,” Sobhani said.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1204301?fbclid=IwY2xjawGakGBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHcOtCh5e7HcFkfEM9q5Myw49gXrTaLoSP06lASMU6uvovRcHdB9JGmzpwQ_aem_Zhiu-dXFhYHrDMf686n86g

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Iran14:29, 7 November 2024

Amid growing trade, Iran sees need for bigger border bridge with Armenia

Read the article in: فارسیՀայերենРусский

 

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. A bigger bridge must be built on the Armenian-Iranian border to accommodate higher trade turnover, Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani has said.

“The existing bridge on the [river] Araks is not enough, we must built a new one in order to increase cargo clearance. We have a lot of work to do, and a very bright future awaits us,” Sobhani told reporters.

He said the bigger bridge is needed to reach the volume of the outlined trade turnover.

Sobhani also touched upon the importance of building the Agarak-Kajaran section of the North-South road.

“First of all, the volume of our trade turnover amounts to 700 million dollars, and the leaders of the two countries have outlined the bar on increasing trade to 3 billion dollars. In order to be able to reach that goal we must create infrastructures. Thus, construction will contribute to reaching that goal. When the 32km road section from Agarak to Kajaran is completed, the driving duration will be reduced from 1 hour 20 minutes to 20 minutes. The width of the road will become 18 meters from 6 meters. Naturally, we will be able to promote transport traffic in that section, after which there will be the issue of the Kajaran tunnel, and the 62km part from Kajaran to Sisian,” he said, adding that the construction of the infrastructures will increase the quantity of cargo trucks by several hundred per day.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1204317?fbclid=IwY2xjawGakZZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHdOe_r2NSjisYvHU-RqTxXLDnHH-bWDD831MVvbmO2MqP5TqXLClbWijWw_aem_Eu0-YNTtz2GJuySrnrdi7A

[Yervant1]

Azatutyun.am

 

Iranian Envoy In Armenia Admits Differences With Russia

Նոյեմբեր 13, 2024

• Heghine Buniatian

 

Armenia - Iranian Ambassador Mehdi Sobhani is interviewed by RFE/RL's Armenian Service, Yerevan, July 12, 2024.

 

Iran and Russia have diverging interests in the South Caucasus, according to the Iranian ambassador to Armenia, Mehdi Sobhani.

“We are not allies,” the New York Times quoted Sobhani as saying in an article published late on Tuesday. “We have some differences, and we have some mutual interests. It doesn’t mean that we are allied.”

Despite their growing military cooperation and standoffs with the West, Moscow and Tehran seem to disagree on Azerbaijan’s demands for a transport corridor to its Nakhichevan exclave passing through Syunik, the only Armenian region bordering Iran. The Islamic Republic fears that the extraterritorial corridor would strip it of its common border with Armenia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov sparked angry reactions from Iran with his August 19 statement accusing Armenia of “sabotaging” a Russian-brokered agreement to build a highway and railway connecting Nakhichevan to the rest of Azerbaijan via Syunik. The Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned Russia’s ambassador in Tehran to warn Moscow against contributing to any “geopolitical changes” in the region.

The Russian Foreign Ministry downplayed the tensions in September, saying that it has clarified to the Iranian side its renewed calls for the transport corridor also sought by Turkey. It insisted that Moscow is not seeking any arrangements that would change the “existing geopolitical borders” and compromise Armenia’s territorial integrity.

“We cannot accept the change of the international border,” Sobhani told the New York Times in this regard.

Asked what Iran will do if Azerbaijan invades Armenia to try to forcibly open the corridor, the envoy replied: “It will not happen.”

The mayor of Agarak, a small Armenian town on the Iranian border, was quoted by the paper as saying that he has discussed the matter with unnamed Iranian officials. “They all confirm that if, God forbid, someone attacks Syunik, we will fight alongside you,” said Khachatur Andreasian.

Russian officials have said that they simply want Armenia to comply with Paragraph 9 of a Russian-brokered ceasefire deal that stopped the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh. The clause says that Yerevan will “guarantee the security of transport links” between Nakhichevan and the rest of Azerbaijan and also stipulates that Russian border guards will “control” the movement of people, vehicles and goods through Syunik.

Baku wants that traffic to be exempt from Armenian border controls. Yerevan rejects these demands. Armenian officials also say the truce accord does not allow the Russian border guards to escort the traffic or be involved in border checks.

The New York Times article further cited Armenian concerns that a possible further toughening of U.S. policy towards Iran during the upcoming second presidency of Donald Trump would embolden Azerbaijan.

“If the current conflict between Iran and Israel, fueled by the fighting in Gaza and Lebanon, escalates into a full-scale war, they [Armenians] also worry that Tehran would be less able to protect Armenia,” it said.

 

 

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33200761.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawGiVNRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHa4HrNsCD8A3cTth2mXM9ZUO5fHgmAhG-6Mnpa-y8LJ5wg4pkMJFywFQbg_aem_q6ijHvbg-wxoEWDjbvFCBQ

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Politics17:07, 6 January 2025

Azerbaijani media distort Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson’s remarks

Read the article in: العربيةEspañolFrançaisՀայերենРусский简体中文

YEREVAN, JANUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani media outlets have distorted Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei’s statement, attributing remarks about an issue in Turkiye concerning Iranian cargo trucks to the so-called "Zangezur corridor". 

Iranian Tasnim news agency, quoting the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s statement, reported that the statement pertained to a question about an issue with fuel for Iranian cargo vehicles on the border with Turkiye. 

“Given the good-neighborliness and that the shipment of goods through routes is important for the two countries, our efforts together with Turkiye have been to try to somehow solve that issue. Probably our delegation will soon visit Turkiye to discuss the issue up-close in the presence of representatives of the relevant bodies…We hope the issue gets resolved soon,” Baqaei said.

Azeri media outlets distorted the abovementioned statement and misrepresented it as pertaining to the so-called "Zangezur corridor".

In the same press conference, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson reiterated Tehran’s stance regarding the possible unblocking of connections in the South Caucasus.

“Iran’s stance remains unchanged. We welcome the increase of cooperation in the transportation sector, but we emphasize that the countries’ sovereign rights must be respected,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1208845?fbclid=IwY2xjawHpaYFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQcB4LWubqchwAsth53k6o6K4_M6RpZTcSfzF-r9Z5TDx2yTOjXdkO9Gwg_aem_4ptTiyJgmERKa2mEEyCIbw

[MosJan]

 

[Yervant1]

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Asbarez.com

 

Tehran Tells Baku Changes to Regional Borders ‘Unacceptable’

by Asbarez Staff

 

 February 3, 2025

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Main, Latest, News, Top Stories

 

President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran (right) meets with Azerbaijani Presidential Adviser Hikmet Hajiyev in Tehran on Feb. 3

 

President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran on Monday unequivocally reiterated his country’s opposition to any changes to regional borders when meeting with a high-level Azerbaijani official in Tehran.

Pezeshkian once again emphasized Iran’s policy of opposing any changes of geographical borders in the Caucasus region and interference of foreign forces in the region, during a meeting with Azerbaijani Presidential Adviser Hikmet Hajiyev, the Mehr news agency reported.

Pezeshkian emphasized Iran’s interest in strengthening bilateral relations. “We also emphasize the need to remove barriers in trade and transportation as soon as possible and welcome the exchange of experience between the two countries,” he said.

“Changing the region’s borders is unacceptable under any circumstances. Attempts by powers outside the region require strengthening unity among countries in the region and avoiding differences,” Pezeshkian said.

“We want to develop relations with neighboring and Islamic countries because we believe that any disagreement or quarrel among Muslims will lead to the intervention of enemies,” the Iranian president stressed.

Meanwhile, Esmail Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that the security of Caucasus region and also all neighbors, including Armenia and Azerbaijan, is important to Iran, Mehr reported.

Iran attaches great importance to the security of the Caucasus and all neighbors, which includes the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia, Baghei said, stressing constructive relations between Iran and these two countries.

There are exchanges with these two countries at diplomatic levels, Baghaei said, speaking in his weekly press briefing on Monday, adding, “We are ready for any kind of assistance to strengthen security and stability in the South Caucasus region.”

“We have good relations with both countries, there is a diplomatic exchange that has intensified in recent days,” Baghaei said.

According to him, Iran, as it had previously stated, is ready to provide any assistance to strengthen security and stability in the South Caucasus, including by contributing to the development of dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

 

 

https://asbarez.com/tehran-tells-baku-changes-to-regional-border-unacceptable/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIOeTBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHeD8yUnM5NqLuxu-FEZVP8BDRksc0jPcFVgTCuh2E1JPHSrNWxCf3BJFVA_aem_sD33QRZ80Yut6DxCOG_LlQ

[Yervant1]

ARKA, Armenia

Feb 6 2025

 

 

Armenia clearly stated that the document signed with the U.S. is not directed against Iran - IRI Ambassador

06.02.2025, 18:40

Armenian authorities have clearly conveyed to the Iranian side that the document Yerevan signed recently with the United States is not directed against Iran, Iranian Ambassador  to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani said on Thursday.

 

YEREVAN, February 6. /ARKA/. Armenian authorities have clearly conveyed to the Iranian side that the document Yerevan signed recently with the United States is not directed against Iran, Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani said on Thursday.

At the same time, the diplomat noted that Yerevan assured that it will not take any steps to harm Iranian-Armenian relations or Tehran's interests.

According to him, there is mutual understanding between the Armenian and Iranian authorities on the issue.

“Both sides are deeply aware that bilateral relations are developing for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries,” the ambassador told reporters.

This mutual understanding, Sobhani noted, allows strengthening bilateral relations.

In his assessment, against the background of the maximum pressure of the United States on Iran, Tehran and Yerevan have always managed to develop relations.

The Charter on Strategic Partnership between Armenia and the United States was signed on January 14, 2025 in Washington.

The document establishes new areas of cooperation in the fields of economy and energy, security and defense, as well as strengthening democracy, justice and inclusiveness. --0--

https://arka.am/en/news/politics/armenia-clearly-stated-that-the-document-signed-with-the-u-s-is-not-directed-against-iran-iri-ambass/

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Politics18:14, 6 February 2025

Iran is the only country that shares Armenia’s stance on the so-called "corridor issue" - Sobhani

Read the article in: EspañolفارسیFrançaisՀայերենქართულიРусский简体中文

Iran is the only country in the region whose stance on the so-called “Zangezur Corridor” aligns with that of Armenia. Iran supports Armenia on this issue, as it is detrimental to both countries, Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani stated at a press conference on January 6.

According to the ambassador, Iran has no disagreements with Armenia on this matter.

Addressing Russia’s statements that it does not oppose the corridor logic, Sobhani emphasized:

"We have clearly expressed our position to both Russia and other countries. We oppose the corridor logic, we are against any road under international control, and we reject anything that would lead to border changes. We have made this clear and do not take into account the considerations of other countries in this matter."

"Some countries are trying to create suspicion by alleging that Iran has rolled back  its position on this issue. This matter concerns our security. We remain firm on issues related to our national security. This is our position - compare it with that of other countries. If they do not align, then we have disagreements with that country. For us, the interests of our country are the priority," Sobhani said.

The ambassador reaffirmed that Iran will not retreat from its firm stance on the so-called "Zangezur Corridor" and will not negotiate any deals on the issue.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1211394?fbclid=IwY2xjawISRZVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHWKL3_XADRP5c5mwecV6CMmKcupNZcjkEHC_OcgHrKv1O0IlvDwIcBFOUg_aem_Di3qJpGv0-TYtXA9_KaupQ

[Yervant1]

Azatutyun.am

 

Armenian Opposition Party Calls For Defense Alliance With Iran

Մարտ 10, 2025

 

Armenia - Armen Rustamian, the top leader of the Dashnaktsutyun party, speaks during a news conference in Yerevan, March 10, 2025.

 

Armenia should enter into a defense alliance with neighboring Iran in order to ward off a large-scale Azerbaijani attack on its territory, the top leader of the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) said on Monday.

Armen Rustamian, the new head of the pan-Armenian party’s worldwide Bureau, made a case for such a strategic move as he lambasted the Armenian government’s foreign and security policy which he claimed is dictated by Turkey and Azerbaijan.

“Instead of increasing the number of our friends, we are turning our friends into enemies,” he told a news conference. “We believe that we must first of all reinforce our allied, strategic relations with Russia, for which there is a legal framework. A military-political alliance with Iran should be immediately concluded with the logic that an attack on one country would mean an attack on the other as well.”

Rustamian pointed to Iran’s strong opposition to the Azerbaijani demands for an extraterritorial land corridor to its Nakhichevan exclave that would pass through the sole Armenian region bordering the Islamic Republic.

“It’s no secret to anyone that on the question of the so-called Zangezur corridor Iran takes the clearest position which reflects our national interests much more than what our authorities do,” he said. “So we should enable Iran to also have legal-political grounds to fully fulfill its commitments in defense of our vital national interests.”

Iran has repeatedly warned Azerbaijan as well as Turkey against attempting to strip it of the common border or direct transport links with Armenia. The Iranian ambassador in Yerevan, Mehdi Sobhani, stressed last month that “only Iran supports Armenia” in opposing the corridor.

Iran - Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani and his Armenian counterpart Suren Papikian meet in Tehran, March 6, 2024.

Armenian leaders have welcomed Tehran’s stance. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has said that the two nations have common “natural interests” and that Yerevan remains committed to deepening Armenian-Iranian relations.

However, Pashinian’s government has stopped short of pursuing the kind of close military ties that are now sought by Dashnaktsutyun. It has been trying instead to reorient Armenia towards the West, deepening an unprecedented rift with Moscow. Pashinian admitted last week that Iran’s long-running tensions with the West have a “negative” impact on its cooperation with Armenia.

Rustamian met the press following the conclusion of Dashnaktsutyun’s congress held in the Armenian resort town of Tsaghkadzor. A statement adopted by its delegates and released on Monday likewise called, among other things, for a serious change in Armenian foreign policy.

The change advocated by Rustamian has not yet been officially backed by Armenia’s leading opposition group, the Hayastan bloc, of which Dashnaktsutyun is a key component. The bloc’s top leader, former President Robert Kocharian, has previously called for closer military ties with Iran. Speaking at a news conference last month, Kocharian said that Tehran’s stance is what has primarily deterred Azerbaijan so far from invading Armenia to open the corridor to Nakhichevan.

 

 

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33343087.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawI8P_5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHf6zhpFPWvYB4s9RCFhXoUEqDubTfUxEbkxe9L9obnZGXmgmwlWsYDKQ-g_aem_65UpH6S4m3mswO79S6CzdQ

[Yervant1]

IRNA, Iran

March 14 2025

 

Iran welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei welcomes an agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan on the provisions of the peace agreement between the two countries.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has welcomed the news of an agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the terms of a peace agreement between the two countries describing it as a necessary and important step towards achieving lasting peace in the South Caucasus region.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson expressed hope that with the commitment of Azerbaijan and Armenia to resolving disputes through dialogue and diplomacy, the world will soon witness the signing of a peace agreement between the two countries and lasting peace and stability in the region.

Baqaei described the agreement as an important step towards achieving lasting peace in the South Caucasus region.

https://en.irna.ir/news/85778004/Iran-welcomes-Armenia-Azerbaijan-peace-deal

[Yervant1]

TEHRAN TIMES, Iran

March 25 2025

 

 

Iran opposes any military action to resolve disputes in South Caucasus

TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday reiterated Tehran’s stance regarding unblocking connection routes in the South Caucasus, Armenpress reported.

Iran favors unblocking connections, but it must be done on the basis of respect for the countries’ sovereignty, territorial integrity and national laws, Araghchi told a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Yerevan.

“Iran believes that regional problems must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy and opposes any military step for solving disputes in the region. The development of connection routes, transit routes in the region is an acceptable issue, but it must take place under the sovereignty of the countries. The territorial integrity and national laws of the countries must be respected. Anything other than this is unacceptable for Iran,” Araghchi said when asked what Tehran would do if Azerbaijan were to try to militarily capture an extraterritorial corridor through Armenia.

Tehran wishes swift peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Foreign Minister Araghchi also expressed hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan will swiftly sign the peace agreement.

“Iran supports the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan and we hope that the two countries will make a final decision as soon as possible about the signing of the agreement,” the Iranian chief diplomat said.

“We believe that this agreement is highly important for peace and stability in South Caucasus, and this issue is also highly important for the development of economic relations, and we hope that the problems which exist will be resolved soon and the agreement will be signed,” the foreign minister insisted, according to Armenpress.

On the risk of escalation in the region, Iran’s foreign minister added, “We hope that in case of signing the peace agreement these risks will be minimized and we will witness the region’s stability, which is in everyone’s interests.”

Armenia has announced readiness to swiftly sign the peace agreement.

‘Armenia ready to sign peace deal with Azerbaijan but so far no willingness from Baku’

For his part, Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan said his country is ready to launch consultations with Azerbaijan to choose a venue and date for signing the peace agreement.

So far no such readiness has been expressed by Azerbaijan, he said.

“Officially, Yerevan proposed to launch consultations to determine the place, time and other details of signing the agreement. As of this moment we haven’t heard the same readiness officially by Baku,” Mirzoyan said when asked whether consultations have already taken place.

“Parallel with, and following the conclusion of the text of the peace agreement, Azerbaijan has been seeing some other preconditions. You’d ask, what must be done? We must continue to work, negotiate, find mutually acceptable solutions, dignified solutions, solutions ensuring lasting peace, there is simply no alternative. Indeed, at this moment we don’t have a [mutual] understanding about where and when it will be signed. We are ready to maximally swiftly be engaged in that process and put our signature,” Mirzoyan stated.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/511194/Iran-opposes-any-military-action-to-resolve-disputes-in-South

[MosJan]

 

[MosJan]

Ձերբակալված հայ հոգեւորականին թույլ չեն տվել մասնակցել մոր հուղարկավորությանը
Կրոնական հավատքի եւ գործունեության համար Իրանում բանտարկված պատվելի Ջոզեֆ Շահբազյանը նախօրեին չի կարողացել մասնակցել իր 79-ամյա մոր հուղարկավորությանը, տեղեկացնում են «Արեւելք»-ի իրանյան աղբյուրները։ Միաժամանակ տեղեկանում ենք, որ Հայ Ավետարանական համայնքի պատվելի Ջոզեֆ Շահբազյանը մոր միակ խնամակալն էր, որ զրկվել է վերջին հրաժեշտի հնարավորությունից։ Հուղարկավորությանը ներկա չի եղել նաեւ պատվելիի կինը՝ Լիդա Շահբազյանը, որը մի քանի օր առաջ նույնպես ձերբակալվել է՝ անվտանգության մարմինների կողմից Շահբազյանների տան խուզարկումից հետո։ Իրանական մամուլում այսպիսի մեկնաբանություն է հայտնվել․ «Լիդա Շահբազյանը կրկին ձերբակալվել է, երբ Իրանը եւ Միացյալ Նահանգները վերսկսել են բանակցությունները Օմանում, չնայած այն բանին, որ հատուկ ուշադրություն է հրավիրվել կրոնական փոքրամասնությունների դեմ իրանական կառավարության ճնշումների վրա»։
Ջոզեֆ Շահբազյանի՝ բանտում գտնվելը եւ նրա կնոջ ձերբակալությունը որոշ շրջանակներում մտահոգություն են առաջացրել՝ պարսկախոս քրիստոնյաների դեմ իրանական ռեժիմի ուժեղացված արշավի առումով։ Փաստաբան Խատազա Գոնդվեն, որ մասնագիտացած է կրոնի կամ համոզմունքի ազատության հարցերում, կոչ է արել «անհապաղ եւ անվերապահ ազատ արձակել» Ջոզեֆին, Լիդային եւ երկրում գործող մյուս կրոնական փոքրամասնությունների կալանավորված ներկայացուցիչներին, որոնք մեղադրվում են կրոնական իրավունքները իրացնելու մեջ։ Նշվում է, որ Իրանը առանց վերապահումների ստորագրել է երկրում կրոնական իրավունքի ազատության միջազգային պայմանագրերը։
Ջոզեֆ Շահբազյանն առաջին անգամ ձերբակալվել է 2020 թվականին, դրանից հետո նա ազատ է արձակվել եւ մի քանի անգամ կրկին ձերբակալվել, բանտարկվել եւ այսօր, չնայած նրա քրիստոնեական գործունեության հետաքննությունը պաշտոնապես ավարտվել է, գտնում է Թեհրանի Էվին բանտում։

[MosJan]

https://www.churchinchains.ie/prisoner-profiles/joseph-shahbazian/

 

Joseph Shahbazian (61) is an Armenian-Iranian house church leader who was sentenced to ten years in prison for holding church services in his home. He began serving his sentence in Tehran’s Evin Prison in August 2022. In February 2023 the Supreme Court granted Joseph a retrial and in May 2023 he had his ten-year sentence reduced to two years. He was released on 13 September 2023 after receiving a pardon, but he was re-arrested on 6 February 2025.

LATEST NEWS (FEBRUARY 2025): Joseph was re-arrested at his home on 6 February and was taken back to Evin prison. 

Joseph was arrested on the evening of 30 June 2020 when ten intelligence agents from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) raided a house-church gathering of around thirty Christians in the home of a recent convert in western Tehran’s Yaftabad district.

All those present were taken down to the building’s car park, where a van and several cars were waiting. The agents read out a list of names on an arrest warrant and the six Christians whose names were on it (Joseph and five converts) were handcuffed, blindfolded and driven away to their homes in Tehran and nearby Karaj, which were searched for Bibles, other Christian literature and communications devices. Witnesses reported that some of the Christians and some of their non-Christian family members were beaten.

The raid was the start of a two-day series of coordinated raids on Christian homes and house churches in three cities (Tehran, Karaj and Malayer, 400 km southwest of Tehran) during which IRCG agents arrested or interrogated at least 35 Christians. Most were released in the days following the raids and all within a few weeks except for Joseph and a convert from Islam named Malihe Nazari.

It is believed that the raids were coordinated with the help of an informant who had infiltrated the Christians’ network within the previous few months, tipped off the authorities and reportedly accompanied the intelligence agents in their raid on the Tehran house church.

Unprecedented bail demand

Joseph was charged with “acting against national security by promoting Zionist Christianity” and after three weeks’ detention his bail was set at the exorbitant figure of three billion tomans (approximately €140,000) – an unprecedented amount that was twice the previous highest bail demand for a Christian prisoner of conscience.

Malihe Nazari also had bail set at three billion tomans. She is a leader in Tehran’s One-Hearted Women Church and was arrested the day after Joseph in a raid on her home in Tehran by IRCG agents who searched the premises and confiscated personal belongings including computers, phones and books.

Neither family could raise the amount of the bail demand, despite in Joseph’s case submitting title deeds to two apartments worth two billion tomans (his home and the apartment below, belonging to his mother) and they pleaded for a reduction.

On 22 August 2020 the court accepted the amount submitted for Joseph’s bail and he was released on a reduced bail of two billion tomans. Malihe was released the following month on bail of around one billion tomans.

Convicted and sentenced

On 16 October 2021 Joseph, Malihe and five Christian converts who had also been arrested during the coordinated raids (Mina Khajavi, Salar Eshraghi Moghadam, Farhad Khazaee, Somayeh Sadegh and Masoumeh Ghasemi) were summoned to give their final defence at the Evin prosecutor’s office. Their lawyer Iman Soleimani reported that the charges read out to them included “promoting ‘Zionist’ Christianity”, “weakening faith in Muslim clerics”, “membership in opposition groups” to “disrupt national security”, “weakening the foundation of the family” and “attracting Muslims to house-churches”. They denied all the charges.

On 29 May 2022 the seven Christians were tried at Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran on charges of “acting against national security by promoting Zionist Christianity” through either leadership or membership of a house-church. At the hearing, which lasted more than four hours, Judge Iman Afshari pressurised the Christians to recant their faith as an incentive for a reduction in their sentences and reportedly attempted to persuade the other defendants in the case to blame Joseph for their conversions, promising lighter sentences if they complied. When they refused, he reportedly threatened to increase their sentences.

Judge Afshari, who has gained a reputation for severe sentencing of Christians, reportedly threatened, intimidated and ridiculed the defendants and their lawyers and used harsh words and sarcasm to humiliate the Christians and denigrate their beliefs. When their lawyer objected, the judge replied that he was “only joking”. He reportedly failed to act impartially, speaking in defence of the charges and failing to ask the prosecutor’s representative any questions about the legality of the case against the defendants and their activities, despite repeated objections from the Christians’ lawyer.

Joseph was convicted of “founding or leading an organisation that aims to disrupt national security” and on 7 June 2022 the court sentenced him to ten years in prison followed by two years in internal exile in a remote province in the southeast of Iran. He was also sentenced to a two-year ban on travelling abroad or membership of any social or political group and he will have to report to the offices of Iran’s intelligence service for two years after his release on an unspecified “seasonal basis”.

In his verdict, Judge Afshari stated, “The papers of this case file indicate that this person, who considers himself an Armenian and has travelled abroad several times and attended a gathering in Turkey, having established a group to attract Muslims, and under the cover of religious programmes for prayer, has propagated Evangelical Christianity, and with illegal activities and unfounded claims has abused people’s inner weaknesses and attracted some of them to the membership of his group.”

Iran’s regime describes house churches as “enemy groups” with “anti-security purposes” and Joseph was sentenced under Article 498 of the penal code, which provides for up to ten years’ imprisonment for those who “establish groups that aim to disrupt national security”. Article 499 provides for up to five years’ imprisonment for membership of such a group.

Malihe and Mina were each sentenced to six years in prison on the same charge of “founding or leading an organisation that aims to disrupt national security”. Malihe was pardoned and released from prison in April 2023 because her son was severely ill with leukaemia and Mina has not been summoned to serve her sentence because her ankle was badly broken when she was run over by a car. The other four converts were sentenced to between one and four years’ imprisonment for house-church membership, but they have been permitted to pay fines instead of going to prison.

Appeal

On 17 August 2022 the Appeal Court of Tehran upheld the sentences imposed on Joseph and Malihe. Judges Abasali Hozavan and Khosrow Khalili Mehdiyarji announced their verdict without a hearing taking place, saying that the defence had failed to meet the necessary criteria for the appeal to be considered.

Lawyer Iman Soleimani told Article 18 that the judgment had been reached “with a complete disregard for the extensive and well-reasoned defence offered” and showed a “disregard of absolute legal and juridical principles, such as the principles of equal opportunity [to dispute accusations], legality of crimes and punishments, and right to a defence”.

Summoned to prison

On 29 August 2022 Joseph was summoned to Evin Prison to begin serving his sentence. He was given 24 hours to hand himself in to the prison authorities, which he did at around midday the following day. Malihe began serving her sentence in Evin Prison on the same day, 30 August.

On 25 February 2023 the Supreme Court granted a retrial of Joseph’s case, although his lawyer was not informed until 13 March, and on 24 May 2023, following a retrial, his ten-year sentence was reduced to two years. Joseph was released on 13 September 2023 after receiving a pardon, but he was re-arrested on 6 February 2025.

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i don't  know if this is true
 

 

 

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