Armenia Begins TRIPP Corridor Design Before US Deal Is Finalized

The Armenian parliament approved a bill in late October authorizing the creation of TRIPP Development. The entity’s proposed ownership structure was outlined in a preliminary agreement announced by US and Armenian officials in January, but operational details remain unsettled. Pashinyan told MPs on November 2 that officials would not wait for the company’s incorporation to begin preparatory work.

The corridor could include a road, railway, power and fiber-optic transmission lines, and energy pipelines. TRIPP, short for the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, was a central part of the provisional Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal brokered by US President Donald Trump in August 2025. It is planned to cross Armenian territory, linking Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave and forming part of a developing trans-Caspian trade network.

The project faces opposition from Russia and Iran, both concerned that the route could disrupt north-south trade between them. They are also wary of a possible US security presence connected to the corridor. Armenia has sought to address Tehran’s concerns: on November 2, Armenian Ambassador Grigor Hakobyan briefed Iranian lawmakers in Tehran on the latest TRIPP agreements.

Iran’s envoy to Armenia, Khalil Shirgholami, told reporters in Yerevan days earlier that Tehran was keeping an open mind, but stressed that Armenia’s sovereignty must be respected and that no third party should challenge Armenian-Iranian strategic relations. He said Iran would maintain that position in further discussions.

At the same time, tensions between Yerevan and Moscow persist. The Kremlin has reportedly threatened to cut off gas supplies unless Armenia drops its effort to shift toward the West. Pashinyan, speaking at a Brussels forum on November 4, said Armenia would be ready to apply for EU membership no later than 2028, describing democracy as a strategic choice for the country.