“We will break their legs”: Velayati harshly criticizes Pashinyan over the “Zangezur corridor” and TRIPP

Ali Akbar Velayati, former Foreign Minister of Iran and former adviser on international affairs to Iran’s Supreme Leader, has published an article in the Iranian newspaper Ettelaat titled “Openly and sincerely with Mr. Prime Minister,” addressed to Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia.

In the article, Velayati criticized the foreign policy of Armenia’s current authorities, arguing that Nikol Pashinyan’s government is deepening Armenia’s dependence on Western countries, particularly the United States, France and the United Kingdom. He expressed dissatisfaction with the Armenian authorities’ position on the TRIPP project, describing it as a step that runs counter to Iran’s interests.

Velayati also recalled that during meetings in Tehran in 2021, Iran’s Supreme Leader spoke out against the creation of the so-called “Zangezur corridor” in his talks with the presidents of Turkey and Russia.

In the harshest part of the article, Velayati said that during a meeting with Armenia’s ambassador, he made the following statement: “I told the Armenian ambassador openly that if Trump and his allies try to cross this red line of Iran’s, we will break their legs.”

In conclusion, Velayati also criticized the Armenian parliament’s decision on the construction of the corridor, saying that this step by Nikol Pashinyan and his supporters could become a source of shame for the people of Armenia.