Iran has firmly restated its opposition to the proposed Zangezur corridor, which would connect Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhchivan through Armenian territory, following recent statements of support for the project from Russian officials.

The controversy erupted after Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly expressed support for the corridor in a conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, according to Baku-based media outlets. This was followed by an official statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasising the necessity of establishing the Zangezur corridor.

In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a strong rebuke, stating, "Any threat to the territorial integrity of our neighbours, or redrawing of borders, whether in the north, south, east or west, is completely unacceptable and a red line for Iran."

This position was echoed by other senior Iranian officials. Ali Nikzad, Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, tweeted, "We do not accept changes in borders. My advice to Russia and Azerbaijan is to respect borders."

The head of the Parliament's National Security Commission also said the Zangezur corridor is a "red line" for Iran.

These statements align with earlier comments from Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who told the Armenian Prime Minister during a recent meeting that "The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the Zangezur corridor detrimental to Armenia and continues to stand firm on this position."

Mohsen Rezaei, a member of Iran’s Expediency Council, also criticised the behaviour of the Russian officials regarding the Zangezur, saying in a tweet that it is in clear contradiction with their expressions of friendship and strategic relations with Iran.

“These ambiguities should be resolved,” he said.

Mehdi Sobhani, Iran’s ambassador to Armenia, said in an interview with local media that “dreams about Zangezur will never be realised”.

He said Iran is not against unblocking of transit routes, but is against control by representatives of other countries and maintains that any communication should be under the territorial and national sovereignty of Armenia.

Iranian parliamentarians have also voiced their concerns.

Ebrahim Azizi, head of the national security and foreign policy commission of the parliament emphasised that any action regarding the corridor will be met with Iran’s strong reaction.

“The Zangezur is basically a fake corridor, and it seems that there are hands at work to use this corridor as a pretext to diminish Iran's military and political power in the region. We warn those who pursue such illusions that the consequences of such decisions will be heavy and costly for them,” he said on September 7.

The dispute has highlighted tensions in Iran's relations with Russia, traditionally seen as an ally in the region amid growing mistrust between the two sides after supporting each other in their respective regions.

Iranian officials stress that while they value partnerships with countries like Russia, they will not compromise on issues they consider vital to national security and regional stability.

The controversy has been seized upon by Iran's reformist press, with several newspapers running front-page stories criticizing Russia's stance.

Headlines such as "Putin's Danger" and "Backstabbing Iran" were prominent, reflecting a desire among some political factions to portray the government's eastern-oriented foreign policy as misguided.

Critics of the reformist media, however, accuse these outlets of hypocrisy, noting their tendency to downplay or ignore actions by Western countries that go against Iran's interests.

Public opinion in Iran appears divided on the issue. "We don't compromise on our interests with anyone. We stand firm and unwavering on our red lines," said one Tehran resident, reflecting the government's stance.

Another citizen commented, "The reformists' sensitivity to this issue is selective. They don't show the same concern when it comes to Western countries' actions."

Earlier on September 2, Iran reportedly summoned the Russian ambassador to the foreign ministry over the comments.

During the meeting with Russian Ambassador Alexei Dedov, Mojtaba Damirchi Lou, Director General of Eurasia for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stressed the need to respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity as a basis for sustainable peace and regional cooperation.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is also set to meet his Russian counterpart President Putin for the first time at the upcoming BRICS summit in Kazan on October 22.

Iran officially joined BRICS on January 1 and has been growing in importance in the group along with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who also joined in the same session.