Last updated: May 29, 2026
The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a multimodal trade route linking Russia to the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean through Iran, providing an alternative to the Suez Canal route for goods moving between South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The corridor combines rail, road, and sea links and has gained strategic relevance as Western sanctions on Russia and Iran have pushed both countries to deepen economic cooperation with non-Western partners.
For Armenia, the INSTC represents a potential economic opportunity and a strategic hedge. Armenia’s position between Russia to the north and Iran to the south makes it a natural transit country for north-south trade flows, and deeper integration with the corridor could reduce the economic costs of Armenia’s landlocked geography. The corridor is often discussed alongside the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a US-backed connectivity initiative that competes with the INSTC for defining the region’s economic architecture.
Groong covers the INSTC in the context of Armenia’s foreign policy choices, its relationship with Iran and Russia, and the broader competition between Western and non-Western connectivity frameworks in the South Caucasus. Episodes in this category address the corridor’s economic potential, the political conditions attached to participation, and what deepened INSTC involvement would mean for Armenia’s Western integration ambitions.
Below are all Groong episodes tagged with INSTC.
Episode 469 | Recorded: September 4, 2025
Episode 469 | Recorded: September 4, 2025
Episode 462 | Recorded: August 15, 2025
Episode 462 | Recorded: August 15, 2025
Episode 460 | Recorded: August 11, 2025
Episode 460 | Recorded: August 11, 2025
Summary In this episode, Christine Arakelian and Col. Douglas MacGregor join the hosts to analyze U.S. foreign policy moves from Gaza to the South Caucasus. They discuss Israel’s ongoing campaign in Gaza, the recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, and the likely resumption of hostilities. The conversation examines the Trump–Pashinyan–Aliyev White House summit, the strategic “Trump Corridor” across Armenia, and its impact on Russia, Iran, and India. The guests explore India–Armenia relations, U.S. economic vulnerabilities, and the challenges of sustaining a long-term American role in the Read More
Episode 457 | Recorded: August 3, 2025
Episode 457 | Recorded: August 3, 2025
Episode 443 | Recorded: June 3, 2025
Episode 443 | Recorded: June 3, 2025
Episode 437 | Recorded: May 16, 2025
Episode 437 | Recorded: May 16, 2025
Episode 432 | Recorded: April 29, 2025
Episode 432 | Recorded: April 29, 2025
Episode 427 | Recorded: April 6, 2025
Episode 427 | Recorded: April 6, 2025
In this Conversations on Groong episode, we speak with Professor Warwick Powell about the tectonic shifts in global trade, economics, and geopolitics. From Washington’s renewed tariff wars to China’s expanding influence through BRICS and infrastructure initiatives like the BRI, Powell shares his insights on the emerging multipolar order and the declining dominance of the U.S.-centric financial system.
Episode 411 | Recorded: February 6, 2025
Episode 411 | Recorded: February 6, 2025
The Ongoing conflicts: Gaza, Syria, Ukraine. Shifting Global Power and Alliances. Small Countries in a Multipolar World.
Episode 407 | Recorded: January 25, 2025
Episode 407 | Recorded: January 25, 2025
Episode 382 | Recorded: October 29, 2024
Episode 382 | Recorded: October 29, 2024
Episode 333 | Recorded: May 27, 2024
Episode 333 | Recorded: May 27, 2024
Episode 327 | Recorded: April 26, 2024
Episode 327 | Recorded: April 26, 2024
Episode 315 | Recorded: March 12, 2024
Episode 315 | Recorded: March 12, 2024
Episode 314 | Recorded: March 11, 2024
Episode 314 | Recorded: March 11, 2024
Episode 288 | Recorded: October 22, 2023
Episode 288 | Recorded: October 22, 2023
Episode 256 | Recorded: May 22, 2023
Episode 256 | Recorded: May 22, 2023
Armeniaâs Diplomacy and Corridor Politics
Episode 93 | Recorded: October 18, 2021
Armeniaâs Diplomacy and Corridor Politics
Episode 93 | Recorded: October 18, 2021