Armenia Rejects U.S. Lease Proposal for Strategic Zangezur Corridor

Armenia has rejected a proposal from the United States to lease the strategic Zangezur Corridor, citing concerns over sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Earlier this month, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack reportedly proposed that Armenia lease the 42-kilometer (26-mile) corridor for 100 years to a private U.S.-based firm. The corridor, located in Armenia’s southern Syunik Province, would connect mainland Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhchivan and to Turkey—granting Washington, and by extension its allies, control over one of Eurasia’s most sensitive and strategically significant land routes.

Reports suggesting that Yerevan had agreed to the proposal prompted swift denials from Armenian officials. On Thursday, Arman Egoyan, head of the People's Assembly Commission on European Integration, publicly dismissed the proposal, stressing that Armenia would not accept arrangements that compromise its sovereignty.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s spokesperson, Nazeli Baghdasaryan, also rejected the idea of leasing the corridor, reiterating that Armenia must retain full control over its sovereign territory and logistical infrastructure.

Instead of the lease, Armenia has promoted its own alternative: the “Crossroads of Peace” initiative. The plan advocates for regional connectivity and trade through Armenian-controlled routes, ensuring Yerevan remains the primary authority over any transport passing through its territory.

The U.S. proposal reflects a broader strategic push by President Donald Trump to secure control over key global chokepoints, such as the Panama Canal and greater influence near the Suez Canal.

The plan has drawn fierce opposition from Iran, which views any foreign presence in the corridor as a threat. Tehran, which maintains strong historical and economic ties with Yerevan, has warned that U.S. control of the corridor would cut off Iranian access to Armenia and place a hostile military and intelligence presence directly on Iran’s northern border. This concern has been heightened by Tehran’s recent accusations that Azerbaijan permitted Israel to use its airspace during last month’s 12-day conflict with Iran.

Tensions across the South Caucasus have been escalating in recent weeks. Russia has grown increasingly hostile toward Azerbaijan, accusing ethnic Azeri criminal gangs of collaborating with Ukrainian intelligence in operations inside Russian territory. These developments risk turning the region into a new flashpoint amid the already volatile global security environment.