Russia is considering a proposal from Iran to cool the fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, a Russian official said on Tuesday. So far, three ceasefires have been attempted to stop the clashes, but all have quickly failed.
Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Abaqchi made a proposal over the conflict last week in Moscow. Rudenko said Russia is “looking carefully at” Iran’s idea.
Tehran seems to be seeking a leading role in the peace process. Iran has an interest in ending the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh since the enclave is close to the Islamic Republic’s borders. There have been reports of missiles fired in the fighting landing within Iran’s borders.
On Sunday, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported on an initiative brought forward by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
“Since the beginning of the Karabakh crisis, we have been holding consultations with the regional countries, including the Azerbaijan Republic and Armenia as well as Russia and Turkey,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said.
“Among the key points of our country’s initiative is that it does not concern a ceasefire only; rather, the plan is aimed at settling the conflict within a framework which becomes effective when both sides undertake to remain committed to a series of principles and remains in effect as more measures are adopted, including the withdrawal of occupying forces from all occupied areas,” Zarif said.
The three previous ceasefires were brokered under the framework of the Minsk Group, which is led by the US, France, and Russia. The truces were meant to make way for more substantive talks mediated by the three countries. Zarif said his plan is not meant to interfere with mechanisms put in place by the Minsk Group.
Initially, Iran was cautious about taking a side in the conflict, but now it seems the Islamic Republic is leaning towards the Azeri side. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has called on Armenia to withdraw its military from within Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized borders. On Tuesday, Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made a televised address that echoed Aliyev’s calls.
“Territories seized by Armenia must be returned and liberated. This is an essential condition,” Khamenei said. “These lands belong to Azerbaijan, which has every right over them.”
On Monday, Nagorno-Karabakh reported 1,177 of its soldiers killed so far in the fighting that erupted on September 27th. Dozens of civilians have been killed on both sides, and Azerbaijan has yet to disclose its military casualties. Russia has estimated the total number killed in the fighting could be close to 5,000.
So now Pompeo will be against it but before he was okay with Azerbaijan attacking as long as Turkey and Israel were supplying the weapons. At least this is my prediction since he has no conscience.
It must confuse him to have Iran agree with one of his war crimes.
He is in love with his ideas — and the
little thing like facts are no obstacle.
In fact — he thought he was so ahead of the game. In 2018, US sponsored a regime change in Armenia, and the man who promised reducing Russian influence is today prime minister.
Although Russia was the factor that kept status quo in the region for thirty years — it was not good enough. Not posh enough. Armenia held for thirty odd years large swaths of Azeri territory surrounding NK, and wanted possession to become legal.
The new prime minister and Armenian UK citizen president — started talking big, encouraged by its wealthy US diaspora. He urged West to recognize as independent not just NK but all the occupied Azeri lands as ARTSAK republic. Then inexplicably, in July, undertook three incursions into Azerbaijan in the north, and into Azeri exclave in the south.
None of that looked at positively from Moscow.
But US had another ace up its sleeve. Israel was getting cozier in Azerbaijan. And the sweet scenario was — let them both fight, while US has leverage over both, with Moscow out.
So what could go wrong?
Plenty. Turkey stepped in as a big brother protector of Azerbaijan, with clear wink from Moscow. Azerbaijan, knowing full well the Armenian anti-Russian gambit — got cozier with Moscow,
insuring that Moscow terms are met. And the only Russian condition — no attacks on Armenia proper.
Armenia is a slick customer — I have noticed several articles here, where Yerevan invited Russian MOD to examine attacks on Armenia. In ALL cases, these were places within Azerbaijan’s occupied territory where Armenian forces were under attack.
Such stunts work on foreign reporting — few reporters would check Wikipedia to determine if the place in question is really inside Armenia.
Now, suddenly, Pompeii has a problem.
Furious neocons are urging him to institute no-fly zone! Out of sheer neocon hubris. Pompeo cannot do that.
Turkey for a while proposed a regional format for hammering out a solution, getting parties to compromise. But it called for two-two format. Russia-Armenia, and Turkey-Azerbaijan. That formula needs a third party — and Iran has a proposal. The objective is — getting compromise hammered out, and take it to Minsk group.
How can Pompeo insert himself in the local conflict where ALL parties — including Russia — support return of Azeri territory? Russia is only explicit about the need for a special status for NK, with land corridor,
Azerbaijan is now about thirty miles away from the corridor. It can threaten it from that distance without physically cutting it off.
What are Yerevan’s options? It can rely on Russia to get the best deal, but loss to Pashinyan’s prestige is enormous. Stooping down to asking Russia to protect it? After all the high hopes they had in West recognizing their possession of Azeri territory, it would be a long way down.
But remains to be seen . Neighboring countries seem to be coalescing around a compromise.
Unless Macron decides to recognize Armenian claim. At present — he has already caused enough controversy to last him a while. Will US do it? Doubt it — but the crazed neocons are always ready for reckless gambits at the expense of our national interest.
“Territories seized by Armenia must be returned and liberated. This is an essential condition,”
The current fighting began with an Azeri attack to take territories long held by Armenia. This is a suggestion that the attack must be rewarded with success it has not yet attained.
That is not a peace proposal, that is a War Aim.
It makes sense for Iran, whose interest is to avoid trouble among its own large ethnic Azeri population. Iran has only very small ethnic Armenian population, but millions of Azeris.
30 YEARS IS NOT A LONG TIME.
Something no one seems to be clear about is what does Azerbaijan/Iran consider “seized territory?” Are we talking about Armenian occupied Azeri territory between Armenia and Artsakh? Or are we talking about all of Karabakh? This is an important detail. It can mean the difference between real peace and ethnic cleansing, and no one will give me a clear answer on it.
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/04/637908/iran-leader-Ayatollah-Khamenei-prophet-mohammad-
In other Iran news, the Ayatollah has granted pardons to over 3,700 prisoners.