YEREVAN (Azatutyun) — Iran will not allow anyone to undermine its relations with neighboring Armenia, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, reportedly told his visiting Armenian counterpart Armen Grigoryan over the weekend.
Grigoryan visited Tehran to attend an international security forum held there. He also held separate meetings with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as well as Ahmadian.
According to Iranian news agencies, Ahmadian described relations between the two neighboring nations as “strategic” and said they should be expanded “without restrictions.”
“Comprehensive cooperation between the two sides is in the interest of regional peace and stability,” he said.
Tehran will therefore not allow its “enemies” to cause any harm to Armenian-Iranian ties, added Ahmadian. He spoke in that context of unnamed outside powers that are “not interested in lasting peace in the region.” It is not clear whether he referred to the United States or other Western powers with which the current Armenian government has been seeking closer ties.
The Mehr news agency cited Grigoryan as saying in that regard that the deepening of Armenia’s relations with Iran is “not linked to the will of others.”
