The Armenian Defense Ministry said that during their meeting the two men reached “a number of understandings on issues of mutual interest.” It did not elaborate.
The Iranian Mehr news agency reported that regional security was the main focus of the talks. It said Ashtiani reaffirmed Iran’s support for the “internationally recognized borders” of Armenia and other regional states.
Iran has repeatedly warned against attempts to strip it of the common border and transport links with Armenia, in response to Azerbaijan’s demands for an extraterritorial corridor to its Nakhichevan exclave that would pass through Syunik, the only Armenian region bordering the Islamic Republic. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi reportedly told a visiting Azerbaijani official in October 2023 that the corridor sought by Baku is “resolutely opposed by Iran.”
According to Mehr, Ashtiani also voiced support for “direct negotiations” between Armenia and Azerbaijan and said only the regional countries should deal with peace and stability in the region. “Any approach contrary to this policy is not acceptable in any way,” the Iranian minister was cited as saying.
In recent months, Iranian leaders have told their Armenian counterparts that they strongly oppose the geopolitical presence of “extra-regional countries” in the South Caucasus. In a clear reference to Western powers, Raisi told Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian on February 15 that any intervention of “outsiders” in regional disputes could only exacerbate them.
The Armenian government prefers Western mediation of its peace talks with Baku and wants to forge closer security ties with the United States and the European Union amid its unprecedented tensions with Russia. Later in February, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian appeared to acknowledge that this policy is causing unease in Tehran.