Red lines on Armenian territorial integrity unchanged, says Iran

Iran remains committed to its red lines on Armenia’s territorial integrity, Ambassador of Iran Mehdi Sobhani said at a press conference when asked about the risk of an Azerbaijani attack on Syunik province.

Iranian authorities have repeatedly warned that attempts to breach Armenian territorial integrity and deprive Iran of its land border with Armenia in the southern Syunik province are a red line for them.

Sobhani said Iran doesn’t have any information suggesting Azerbaijan would exploit the ongoing Iranian-Israeli escalation for such an aggression.

“We diplomats don’t give assessments to media rumors, instead it is the stance of the countries that matter to us. We are monitoring the developments in our region, we consult and maintain contact with regional countries to present our concerns. Our red lines are clear, and we have proven that we will never deviate from those red lines,” the ambassador said.

“We live in a world of possibilities and some possibilities can be worrying, but diplomats and statesmen rely on facts,” he added.

He said Azerbaijan has also expressed its stance over the recent developments and that countries in the South Caucasus don’t want escalation because peace is in everyone’s interest.

“We maintain vigilance. The Armenian government is also monitoring the situation. We have close ties with the Armenian government and we are constantly consulting with them. I can confidently say that the behavior of countries demonstrated today will impact our relations with them in the future. Friends and enemies are recognized in difficult times,” the Iranian ambassador said.

Iranian officials have numerously reiterated support for Armenia’s territorial integrity, opposing any changes to internationally recognized borders.