Leader adviser: Iran is indispensable to West Asia’s emerging regional order

TEHRAN – Ali Akbar Velayati, adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution on international affairs, has described Iran as one of the principal architects of the emerging regional order in West Asia, warning that no geopolitical arrangement can marginalize the Islamic Republic or undermine its security interests, particularly in the South Caucasus. In a post on his X account on Friday, Velayati stressed Iran’s strategic geographical position as a connecting link between the Persian Gulf, Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Sea of Oman, arguing that any energy or transit corridor designed to bypass Iran would inevitably face higher costs or instability.

"Now that everyone is talking about a new order in West Asia, it should be noted that Iran is a bridge connecting the Persian Gulf, Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Sea of Oman. Any energy or transit corridor seeking to bypass us will either be costly or unstable," he wrote. He also emphasized the interconnected nature of regional security, pointing to the chain of crises stretching from Gaza to the Red Sea, Lebanon and Iraq. "The domino effect of crises, from Gaza to the Red Sea and from Lebanon to Iraq, has shown that regional security is indivisible.

Either collective security will be achieved, or everyone will experience collective insecurity," Velayati warned. Describing the sweeping geopolitical shifts across West Asia, he said their impact had extended even to political developments in Israel and the United States, adding that Iran had emerged as a central force in shaping the region's future. "Iran is now one of the principal architects of the regional order – a reality that can neither be eliminated nor replaced," he said.

Iran's red lines in the South Caucasus In a separate article published in the Ettelaat newspaper, Velayati issued a strong warning over the so-called Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), which is intended to establish a transport link between the Republic of Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenian territory. The project, associated with efforts to establish the so-called Zangezur corridor, has drawn strong opposition from Iran, which considers arrangements affecting the region's geopolitical balance and international borders a matter of strategic importance.

Reacting to the Armenian parliament's approval of the TRIPP project, Velayati criticized Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's approach, arguing that his policies risk deepening divisions and instability in the South Caucasus while undermining Armenia's own national interests. He described the approval as an ill-considered move that could damage Armenia's standing and create further complications for the country in its relations with neighboring states.

Velayati also criticized 'Pashinyan's growing alignment with Western policies,' saying that his government's decisions had contributed to worsening relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan rather than resolving their differences. He warned that the Armenian premier's approach could open a new chapter of tension in the South Caucasus, noting that Yerevan's relations with Azerbaijan, Iran and Türkiye had become increasingly unpredictable.

Referring to his meetings with Armenia's deputy foreign minister and ambassador in Tehran, Velayati said he had explicitly conveyed Iran's position on regional security and the consequences of any attempt to alter the geopolitical balance in the Caucasus. He emphasized that Iran would not allow developments along its northwestern borders to undermine its national security, adding that Tehran considered itself responsible for helping preserve stability in the South Caucasus, irrespective of Russia's involvement in the Ukraine conflict.

Velayati recalled that the Caucasus had historically served as a strategic security buffer for Iran, extending to Darband in present-day Dagestan, and stressed that this longstanding geopolitical reality could not be disregarded in regional policymaking. In his sharpest warning, he said Iran would respond firmly if US President Donald Trump and his allies attempted to cross the Islamic Republic's red lines through the proposed corridor.

"If Trump and his allies want to cross this Iranian red line, we will break their legs," Velayati said, reiterating that Iran would not accept arrangements that threaten its security interests or alter the region's strategic geography. His remarks underscore Tehran's position that the future of the South Caucasus and West Asia must be shaped through regional cooperation, respect for national sovereignty and the legitimate security interests of neighboring countries, rather than externally imposed geopolitical arrangements.