The Role of the United States in the Zangzor Corridor and Its Implications for the Security Environment of the South Caucasus

Emamverdi, Hossein; Soleimani, Reza

doi:10.22080/jpir.2025.29879.1442

The Role of the United States in the Zangzor Corridor and Its Implications for the Security Environment of the South Caucasus

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Hossein Emamverdi ¹
Reza Soleimani ²

¹ International Relations Department, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

² Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.

10.22080/jpir.2025.29879.1442

Abstract

The Zangzor Corridor, as one of the emerging transit projects in the South Caucasus, has become a new focal point in the region’s geopolitical and transit dynamics following the recent agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia and the transfer of its management to the United States. Accordingly, the main research question of this study is: What are the implications of U.S. involvement and role in managing the Zangzor Corridor on the South Caucasus security environment and the positions of regional actors? The research hypothesis is based on the premise that transferring the management of the Zangzor Corridor to the United States, while strengthening Azerbaijan-Turkey ties, creating alternative transit routes, and increasing extra-regional influence, undermines Russia’s control and limits Iran’s regional role, thereby driving the South Caucasus security environment toward more complex competition among actors. The findings indicate that, in addition to generating opportunities for economic convergence, transport infrastructure development, and facilitated access to Central Asia and Europe, this development poses multiple geopolitical risks and challenges for Armenia, Georgia, Russia, and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Azerbaijan and Turkey benefit from geopolitical advantages and streamlined transit flows, whereas Armenia, despite reduced economic isolation, loses part of its control over transit routes. Georgia sees its transit position weakened, while Russia and Iran face limitations on their traditional influence in regional affairs.

Keywords

Main Subjects

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