US-Iran relations have reached the highest point of tension, and this tension is not only through rhetoric, but also concrete actions. This is what Iranologist Vardan Voskanyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am, stating that on a scale of one to ten with ten being the most dangerous, at this moment, the number of seven.
He recalled that the US is deploying more troops in the Middle East. “This and other steps and actions are creating a rather risky situation in the Middle East. It’s clear that neither party is willing to make any concessions for the time being. Iran claims that the US has to return to the nuclear deal so that Iran restarts negotiations, while the US is setting forth other preconditions, and in this context, improvement is not visible, and there is even a risk that there might be a clash at the local level, a satellite war between the US and Iran, which will have devastating consequences for the entire Middle East.”
According to Voskanyan, Saudi Arabia and Israel, which are US allies in the region, will help US deteriorate the situation.
The sanctions are having an impact on Armenia-Iran economic ties.
“The interests of the Republic of Armenia require that Iranian economy is sustainable and powerful as much as possible in our region, taking into consideration the overall geopolitical situation and the vital importance of the Armenia-Iran border in terms of security and economy,” Voskanyan noted.
However, recently, an Armenian bank recommended that its customers refrain from transferring cargo from Iran or making transfers to a bank account in exchange of transfers through the territory of Iran since there might be cancelations or freeze of monetary funds.
Touching upon this, the Iranologist noted that before this stage of the sanctions, he and his colleagues had warned that there will be a rather risky situation in the banking system and that it was necessary to take certain measures.
“It’s obvious that Armenia shouldn’t give in to any pressure. Taking into consideration our partnering relations with the US, we need to specify our position. Armenia is in a blockade with Turkey and Azerbaijan. Consequently, Armenia’s relations with Iran are not only economic. They also ensure our statehood and are a certain component of Armenia’s security in this region. Armenia has to be classified as an exception, even if the incumbent US administration plans to intensify its relations with Iran,” Voskanyan said.
The official Armenia is silent and is dealing with domestic political affairs.
According to the Iranologist, Armenia has overlooked its foreign policy, and this is troubling. “The public, government, parliament and relevant bodies aren’t speaking out about this issue. We need to understand that Armenia’s has not only domestic issues, but also foreign policy issues and is in a rather tense and, in some sense, a rather dynamically developing situation. This concerns the developments in Iran and the actions and statements that Azerbaijan takes and makes from time to time. Armenia doesn’t talk about Georgia very much. In essence, Armenia is focused more on domestic political issues, and this can’t be reassuring and satisfying.”
