Armenia, Azerbaijan Sign US-Brokered Peace Deal

Armenia and Azerbaijan have signed a US-brokered peace deal at the White House, ending decades of conflict and agreeing to establish a US-administered transit corridor, the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), through southern Armenia to Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave. The United States has secured exclusive development rights to the 27-mile corridor for 99 years. Iran has strongly opposed the corridor, pledging to block its creation and accusing the US of regional destabilization. Russia has expressed cautious support for the deal but emphasized its ongoing interests and the deployment of Russian border guards along Armenia's border with Iran. The agreement aims to reduce Russian and Iranian influence and expand Western business and energy access, but faces significant political and security obstacles. Armenian public opinion is cautiously optimistic about the prospect for long-term peace.