Tensions escalate in South Caucasus amid Zangazur Corridor breakthrough

By Alpaslan Düven / London

Ankara, Baku, Yerevan — In a dramatic geopolitical shift, Türkiye 🇹🇷, Azerbaijantt 🇦🇿, and Armenia 🇦🇲 are reportedly on the verge of finalizing a landmark agreement over the long-disputed Zangazur Corridor, potentially redrawing strategic balances in the South Caucasus and sharply diminishing Russia’s traditional influence in the region.

Sources close to the negotiations say the trilateral deal, which would establish a secure transport and trade route linking Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave through southern Armenia, is in its final stages — a breakthrough that has stunned Moscow.

In apparent retaliation, Russian authorities have launched targeted raids on Azerbaijani communities across key cities, citing security concerns but raising alarm over ethnic profiling and political retribution. Human rights observers report multiple detentions and intimidation tactics being used against Azerbaijani nationals.

Simultaneously, intelligence sources suggest Moscow is coordinating with Tehran to increase pressure on Baku, possibly through military posturing or covert economic disruptions. The Kremlin is reportedly furious over what it sees as a Western-aligned axis forming between Türkiye and the South Caucasus states, eroding Moscow’s traditional dominance in the post-Soviet space.

This rapidly developing situation marks one of the most significant shifts in regional power dynamics since the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.

More updates to follow.