A historic Trump peace accord has ended more than 30 years of war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, giving the United States an unprecedented foothold in the South Caucasus. Both Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev credited President Donald Trump and his envoy for brokering the deal, which promises economic integration, regional connectivity, and U.S.-led infrastructure development.
“This is not a zero-sum game,” Pashinyan said, noting the agreement offers “tangible benefits for Iran and for Russia as well.” At the heart of the plan is the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) — a 27-mile transit corridor linking Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenia, leased to the U.S. for 99 years to build roads, railways, pipelines, and fiber optics.
Aliyev called the pact a “connectivity project” and dismissed claims it targeted Moscow or Tehran. “It will be very difficult for any country…to say something bad about today’s agreement,” he said.
Iran has reacted with hostility, threatening military action to block the route. Domestically, Pashinyan faces fierce opposition from Armenian nationalists and the Armenian Apostolic Church, whose prominent archbishop was arrested on terrorism charges after organizing protests against returning border villages to Azerbaijan.
Despite tensions, Pashinyan stands firm. “We expect to have some criticism, and that’s part of democracy,” he said. “But we are confident we made the right decision.”
