The recent delivery of fuel by Iranian trucks to the Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region belies Tehran’s longstanding claims of its support for Azerbaijan

The article, authored by Paul Miller, president and executive director of the news and public policy group Haym Salomon Center, stated that Nagorno-Karabakh is an internationally recognized part of Azerbaijan.

The author also pointed to the bleak situation in Iran in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

“There are major concerns about how honest the Islamic Republic has been about its response and its government’s alleged negligence in allowing COVID-19 to spread,” he noted.

Touching upon Iran-Armenia ties, the author wrote: “Armenia’s ties with Iran have also been something of an Achilles’ heel for Yerevan amid the pandemic. Iran is the sixth-largest trading partner of Armenia and a crucial link for the landlocked country to the global economy. Armenia had been hesitant to fully restrict travel and trade with Iran, despite the raging pandemic in the Islamic Republic.”

Miller also highlighted pro-Armenian Senator Robert Menendez’s efforts to prevent the Trump administration from cutting aid to Nagorno-Karabakh. “Menendez, backed by the Armenian lobby, is currently circulating a Senate letter that aims to thwart the Trump administration’s efforts to cut US aid to Nagorno-Karabakh (which the State Department does not recognize as an independent country). Why does Menendez, given his goal of curbing Iranian aggression, turn a blind eye to Yerevan’s close relationship with Tehran?” the article said.

As for Armenia’s plans to open an embassy in Israel and the collaboration of the two countries’ specialists on COVID-19 response, the author said, “Yet before further bilateral engagement regarding the pandemic, Jerusalem should assess the full spectrum of Yerevan’s foreign policies, including Armenian ties with Syria and Iran.”

“In these uncertain times, strategic and mutually beneficial alliances between leaders and nations are more critical than ever. The US and Israel should surely take Armenia’s rogue ties into account as they shape their responses to the pandemic,” he wrote.

In his article, Miller also questioned the efforts of Russia and Syria to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

News.Az