Political scientist: US demands Armenia to raise the issue of  withdrawing Russian border guards from the Iranian-Armenian border

ArmInfo.The US has demanded that Armenia raise the issue of withdrawing Russian border troops  from the Iranian-Armenian border. Political scientist Suren Surenyants announced this at a press conference in Yerevan on September 18, noting that he received this information through his diplomatic channels.

As noted by the political scientist, the US is making every effort to  reduce the influence of Iran, Russia and China in Central Asia and  the South Caucasus.  Surenyants explains that Russia and Iran hold  similar positions in this context, though they are not identical.   According to him, the differences concern interactions with Turkey  and Azerbaijan. "If for Russia Azerbaijan and Turkey are countries  through which it bypasses Western sanctions, then for Tehran they are  allies of the West, including Israel," the political scientist  stated.  From this perspective, the expert believes, Russia's  participation in the so-called project to build Greater Turan, poses  an existential threat to Iran. However, according to him, it is  inaccurate to claim that relations between Russia and Iran are  currently in crisis, despite efforts by Western-oriented forces to  push this narrative.

"After the recent statements made by the head of Turkish intelligence  Ibrahim Kalin regarding the significance of launching the so-called  "Zangezur corridor", Secretary of the Russian Security Council Sergei  Shoigu, who is currently on an unofficial visit to Tehran, announced  Russia's support for Iran's transportation communications policy.  This is a positive signal for us, assuming, of course, that there is  a competent government in Armenia capable of capitalizing on such an  opportunity," Surenyants emphasized.

At the same time, he believes that Russia and Iran are working to  uphold the current situation in the Araks River zone and prevent the  Western involvement. According to him, this agreement aligns with the  provisions set forth in the Gulistan and Turkmenchay Treaties (1813  and 1818). In support of this, he recalled that, according to  paragraph 9 of the Turkmenchay Treaty, the border between Russia and  Iran runs along the Araks River.