Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Iran at War
- The Northern Front: Turkey & Azerbaijan
- Changing Nakhichevan’s Constitution
Episode 524 | Recorded: March 19, 2026
#IranWar #VaruzhanGeghamyan #ZangezurCorridor #Syunik #ArmeniaGeopolitics
Show Notes
Summary
We examine the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran through a regional lens, focusing on the war’s broader strategic aims, Azerbaijan’s possible role as a northern pressure point against Iran, Turkey’s ambiguous posture, and Armenia’s growing vulnerability in the middle of these shifts. Prof.Geghamyan also looks at the geopolitical meaning of the TRIPP or “Zangezur Corridor” project, the recent centralization of control over Nakhijevan, and Geghamyan’s new book “The Armenian Wedge in the Path of Turan: The Issue of the “Zangezur Corridor,” on the historical roots and present danger of the corridor agenda.
Main Topics Addressed
- The current state of the US-Israeli war on Iran, and the question of whether military escalation has strengthened rather than weakened Iran.
- Whether Washington and Tel Aviv are pursuing the same war aims, or whether their objectives diverge at the strategic level.
- Azerbaijan’s deep military and energy relationship with Israel, and its potential role in opening or supporting a northern front against Iran.
- The political and military meaning of the March 5 incident at Nakhichevan International Airport, and why tensions rose and then quickly subsided.
- Azerbaijan’s constitutional amendments reducing Nakhijevan’s autonomy, and the significance of removing references to the Moscow and Kars treaties.
- Tensions and contradictions within the Turkey-Azerbaijan relationship, especially over Israel, Iran, and pan-Turkic ambitions.
- Turkey’s double game, anti-Israel rhetoric in public, continued strategic cooperation in practice, and possible long-term aims regarding Iran.
- Armenia’s exposure to regional pressure through the TRIPP or “Zangezur Corridor” framework, and whether current policy leaves the country more secure or more vulnerable.
- Varuzhan Geghamyan’s new book, The Armenian Wedge in the Path of Turan: The Issue of the “Zangezur Corridor”, and its argument that the corridor is part of a much older Turkish-Azerbaijani geopolitical project.
Key Questions Discussed
- Why are we in this war, and what larger strategic logic is driving it?
- Are the US and Israel pursuing the same outcome in Iran?
- What should we make of Azerbaijan’s behavior during the war, especially around the Nakhijevan airport incident?
- Did that incident represent a real attack, a warning, or a false flag meant to trigger a new front?
- Has Aliyev already made Azerbaijan a functional combatant, or at least a target, in Tehran’s eyes?
- What is the significance of Azerbaijan stripping Nakhijevan of key elements of its autonomous status?
- Why were references to the Moscow and Kars treaties removed now?
- Do Turkey and Azerbaijan view the Iran war the same way, or do their interests diverge?
- Is Azerbaijan’s Israeli and American alignment a concern for Turkey, or part of a broader shared strategy?
- What are Turkey’s real plans regarding Iran, behind its peace rhetoric?
- Could the TRIPP route become a military or logistics corridor in the context of war with Iran?
- Is Armenia’s current “diversification” policy a smart balancing act, or is it weakening the country’s remaining deterrents?
- What is the central argument of Varuzhan’s new book, and how has it been received?
- Will the book be translated into English?
Referenced Articles & Sources
- MAIRD Hosts Book Presentation of “The Armenian Wedge in the Path of Turan: The Issue of the Zangezur Corridor”
- Varuzhan Geghamyan on the Anti-Azerbaijani Wave in Turkish Media
- Nakhchivan Loses Autonomy in New Constitutional Amendments
- How to get Prof. Geghamyan’s books:
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
Varuzhan Geghamyan
Prof. Varuzhan Geghamyan is assistant professor at Yerevan State University’s Department of Oriental Studies, teaching courses on Turkey’s modern history, History of Azerbaijan; Sociocultural anthropology of Azerbaijan; Political ideologies and parties in Modern Turkey & History of the Turkish Republic.
Hosts
Asbed Bedrossian
Asbed Bedrossian is an IT professional, and for years oversaw the central IT enterprise infrastructure and services at USC. His decades of experience spanned across IT strategy, enterprise architecture, infrastructure, cybersecurity, enterprise applications, data center operations, high performance computing, ITSM, ITPM, and more.
Asbed founded the Armenian News Network Groong circa 1989/1990, and co-founded the ANN/Groong podcast in 2020.
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.