Benyamin Poghosyan - US-Iran, Gyumri, Armenia MFA Blames Artsakh, Negotiations With Azerbaijan | Ep 426, Apr 6, 2025 [EP426]
Posted on Wednesday, Apr 9, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Iran, Geopolitics | Series: wir
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- US Iran Escalation
- Aftermath of Gyumri and Parakar
- MFA blames Artsakh for Regional Isolation
- Bullets and Peace
Episode 426 | Recorded: April 8, 2025
Show Notes
Main Topics Addressed
- The rapidly escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran: military deployments, Trump’s ultimatums, and potential outcomes
- Analysis of Civil Contract’s municipal election losses in Gyumri and Parakar
- Armenia’s Foreign Ministry statements blaming the former Artsakh leadership for regional isolation
- The state of Armenia-Azerbaijan “peace” negotiations and constitutional changes under duress
- Border attacks and Pashinyan’s balancing act between international PR and local security failures
- Social instability surrounding Artsakh refugees and slashing of housing aid
Key Questions Discussed
- Are the Trump administration’s demands to Iran designed to provoke conflict or extract genuine concessions?
- What strategic calculations underlie Trump’s nuclear ultimatum and military maneuvers in the region?
- How likely are Russia or China to intervene or influence the U.S.-Iran standoff?
- What are the implications of Civil Contract’s municipal setbacks for 2026 parliamentary elections?
- Was the MFA’s statement about Artsakh a factual correction or an attempt to rewrite history?
- What does Aliyev’s continued aggression signal, despite Armenia’s acceptance of a “peace” document?
- Is Armenia rushing to rewrite its constitution to appease Aliyev or to secure reelection for Pashinyan?
- How does the targeting of Artsakh refugees and diminishing aid tie into domestic political strategies?
Referenced Articles & Sources
- Iran closes airspace, raises combat readiness
- China backs diplomacy, Global Times coverage
- Trump: US and Iran in direct talks
- Araghchi tweet confirming Iran’s stance
- Trump administration fact sheet on Iran
- Russia-China foreign ministers on Iran & Korea
- Gyumri-Parakar election results
- Opposition eyes 2026 elections post-Gyumri
- RFE/RL on Artsakh blame controversy
- Constitutional changes & shooting incidents
- Pashinyan on fast-tracking constitutional reform
- Previous conversation with Benyamin Poghosyan – Ep 423
- Political Dialogue Statement: Armenia-Azerbaijan
Wrap-up
Links and Resources
That’s our Week in Review, we hope you found it helpful. We invite your feedback and your suggestions, you can find us on most social media and podcast platforms.
Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.
Guests
Benyamin Poghosyan
Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan is a Senior Research Fellow at APRI Armenia, a Yerevan based think tank,and the Chairman of the Center for Political and Economic Strategic Studies. He has served as the vice president for research and head of the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense Research University in Armenia. Dr. Poghosyan was a Distinguished Research Fellow at the US National Defense University College of International Security Affairs. He is a graduate from the US State Department Study of the US Institutes for Scholars 2012 Program on US National Security Policy Making. He holds a PhD in history and is a graduate from the 2006 Tavitian Program on International Relations at Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
Hosts
Asbed Bedrossian
Asbed is founder of the Armenian News Network Groong and co-founder of the ANN/Groong podcast.
Hovik Manucharyan
Hovik Manucharyan is an information security engineer who moved from Seattle to Armenia in 2022. He co-founded the ANN/Groong podcast in 2020 and has been a contributor to Groong News since the late 1990s.
Disclaimer: The views expressed by Hovik Manucharyan on the ANN/Groong podcast are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of his employer or any other organization.