The New York Times ran an extensive article dedicated to the influence of Russia and Iran in the South Caucasus, especially emphasizing the conflicting interests of the two countries.

The author of this article had gone to the Armenian-Iranian border, noting the imminent departure of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) border guards. This is the border between Iran and Armenia, a 30-mile strip that is the turning point of a dizzying geopolitical shift. Here in the Caucasus, the mountainous region where Europe meets Asia, Russia and Iran are increasingly seen as rivals, while Western countries, surprisingly, find common ground with Tehran, the author noted

Iran's ambassador to Armenia, Mehdi Sobhani, acknowledged in an exclusive interview last week that Russia and Iran have divergent interests in the region, rather than the "strategic partnership" they often profess when uniting against the United States.

"We have some differences, and we have some mutual interests. It doesn’t mean that we are allied,” Sobhani said

Apparently, the article refers to the ambassador's interview with reporters in Kapan, Armenia last week. Meanwhile, the phrase "It doesn’t mean that we are allied" is not found verbatim in other sources.

According to the article's authors, Russia is seeking to contain Iran's growing influence in Armenia, a former Soviet republic at the crossroads of trade routes that Moscow needs to replace Western imports. The situation is complicated by the fact that some Western countries currently in conflict with Iran see their interests in the Caucasus—preventing war and reducing Russian influence—as overlapping with Tehran's interests.

Here, the article quotes Markus Ritter, head of the European Union (EU) civilian monitoring mission in Armenia, that Iranians are the best friends of Armenians in the region.

The latest round of tensions over the region's future revolves around a thin strip of Armenian land, Syunik Province. “For the moment, the road is a key route north from the Persian Gulf and critical for exporting Iranian goods to Russia and to Europe. But it is also where Russia and Azerbaijan want to establish an east-west route toward Turkey that would be outside Armenia’s control — a route that Armenians fear Azerbaijan could take by force,” the article added.

And such a statement contradicts the facts. The collective West, Turkey, and Azerbaijan insist on opening the corridor. It was said several times, a memorandum was even signed.

"We cannot accept the change of the international border," the Iranian ambassador to Armenia said. At the same time, Sobhani declined to say what Iran would do if Azerbaijan attacked, responding: “It will not happen.”

According to the author of the article, the Biden administration pushed Azerbaijan and Armenia to hold peace talks. But with the upcoming change of the US administration, Armenians fear the combination of less American attention and a tougher line towards Iran, which, in their opinion, plays a constructive role in the Caucasus.

European countries balance in their own way. EU leaders are deepening ties with Azerbaijan despite human rights concerns as the oil- and gas-rich country provides alternatives to Russian energy. Also, they recognize the country's importance to Israel, which gets most of its oil from Azerbaijan, sells arms to Azerbaijan, and sees strategic value in close ties with neighboring Iran.

Markus Ritter, head of the EU monitoring mission in Armenia, said that both Armenia and Azerbaijan are building bunkers, trenches, and artillery positions to prepare for the worst-case scenario, writes The New York Times.