Iran Cannot Become Mediator in Karabakh Issue: Alizade

“Iran, of course, would like to be a mediator in the Karabakh issue; it has said so on numerous occasions. Won’t it, after all, raise its rating in the region?” said political analyst Zardusht Alizade, commenting on Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian’s upcoming visit to Iran, where the Karabakh issue will be discussed.

“Each mediating country has its [own] interests. But there are circumstances under which Tehran is in no position to be a mediator in the Karabakh issue. First and foremost, the UN has awarded the responsibility of mediating the Karabakh conflict to the OSCE; Iran isn’t even geographically [in] Europe and is not a member of this organization. In addition, to become an authoritative mediator, one must have a pretty good influence on those states to whom one is administering mediation services. Moscow’s influence is felt in Yerevan, where Tehran has no role whatsoever. And finally, the ‘great states,’ the US and Russia, are against Iran’s mediation in the Karabakh issue,” said Alizade in an interview with Day.Az.

On the topic of possible military actions between Armenia and Azerbaijan and Iran’s position in this case, Alizade said that he’s skeptical, noting that Iran will be on neither Armenia’s nor Azerbaijan’s side.