08:36 | June 02, 2026 Zhoghovurd daily of Armenia writes as follows: Could the “grand deal” being discussed in the US-Azerbaijan-Armenia format become the way in which the return of Armenian prisoners [in Azerbaijan] will be linked to political agreements between Washington and Baku? (...).

ArmLur.am has studied the latest developments in US-Azerbaijani relations, which are related to the extension of the Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act of United States, as well as the intensified discussions on possible new political agreements in the region. On June 1, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had published on his social platforms a letter sent to him by US President Donald Trump, which referred to the memorandum on the extension of the cancellation of the application of Section 907 of the said law. Aliyev had noted that he was grateful to Donald Trump for the document, which was presented as a gift and accompanied by a personal signature and words of good wishes. In the Azerbaijani president’s words, he highly appreciates this step and considers it an important political and diplomatic gesture. This publication actually shows that the US policy of temporarily lifting this restriction, which has been used for years as a tool for the normalization of US-Azerbaijani relations, continues. (...).

Section 907 stipulates that the US government cannot provide state assistance to the Azerbaijani government until it takes certain steps related to relations with Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh and the lifting of the blockade. (...). At the same time, discussions have intensified in international analytical circles about a possible new phase in US-Azerbaijani relations. The so-called “grand deal” is being floated, in which Washington could ease some restrictions on Baku in exchange for the release of political prisoners and a number of detained Armenians. According to some estimates, this process could also be linked to the upcoming [parliamentary] elections in Armenia. (...).

Can the “grand deal” being discussed in the US-Azerbaijan-Armenia format become the mechanism through which the return of Armenian prisoners [in Azerbaijan] will become part of the political compromises between Washington and Baku. Is this process actually a humanitarian step or a component of broader geopolitical calculations? It is difficult to unequivocally assess the likelihood of this scenario being implemented, but the recent steps and public signals from the three states show that such discussions are no longer just at the theoretical level and can turn into a real political process.