Iran War

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dr. Dmitry Suslov about Russia’s strategic position across multiple fronts: the Ukraine War, Armenia’s post-election Western pivot, TRIPP and Syunik, and Europe’s rearmament against Russia. We discuss the long-term confrontation between Russia and NATO, Pashinyan’s Western alignment after the June 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election, and how transport corridors in the South Caucasus may reshape regional containment lines.

Ambassador Dziunik Aghajanian explains how Iran is militarily, politically, and economically preparing for an anticipated third phase of conflict with Israel and the US, including reconstruction efforts and logistics planning.

Ambassador Aghajanian argues that Israel’s cabinet vote to recognize the Armenian Genocide is not a moral act but a geopolitical pressure tool against Turkey regarding participation in planned military operations against Iran.

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Amb. Dziunik Aghajanian about the Iran-Israel conflict, Armenia’s 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election aftermath, and Israeli recognition of the Armenian Genocide. We discuss whether the US-Iran MOU represents genuine de-escalation or a tactical pause before renewed confrontation, the Constitutional Court’s review of election fraud allegations against the Civil Contract regime, and Russia’s warnings to Armenia amid regional instability.

Hovik argues Israel’s Armenian Genocide recognition is a geopolitical move against Turkey, not a moral awakening, rooted in the Iran-US Memorandum and Trump’s regional realignment.

Hovik warns that the US-Iran ceasefire could mirror the failed Minsk agreements, where the West negotiated peace while secretly rearming for a stronger offensive.

In this Groong Week in Review episode, Hovik and Asbed examine the fallout from Armenia’s 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Elections, the ongoing US-Iran War ceasefire negotiations and their regional implications, and escalating political persecutions following the vote. We discuss how six opposition parties—including Strong Armenia, Armenia Alliance, Prosperous Armenia, and others—have challenged the election results at the Constitutional Court, Russia’s continued criticism of Pashinyan’s government amid an economic embargo, and Armenia-Azerbaijan telecommunications developments amid broader geopolitical uncertainty in the South Caucasus.

Dr. Grigoryan explains how Israel’s veto power threatens the US-Iran negotiations in Switzerland, and why Netanyahu has incentives to sabotage any agreement.

Grigoryan argues that US-Israel tensions are becoming public and dangerous, with officials like J.D. Vance openly questioning Israeli policy in unprecedented ways.

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dr. Arman Grigoryan about US-Iran negotiations and Armenia’s contested post-election landscape. We discuss the prospects for a US-Iran agreement, its implications for TRIPP and Iran-Russia relations, the aftermath of the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election, and how shifting great-power dynamics reshape the South Caucasus.

Hovik explains why Israel’s refusal to commit to the U.S.-Iran interim agreement creates a fatal flaw: Iran insisted fighting stop on all fronts including Lebanon, but Israel has no intention of withdrawing.

In this episode of Groong Week in Review for June 14, 2026, hosts Hovik Manucharyan and Asbed Bedrossian analyze the aftermath of Armenia’s 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election, shifting Armenia-Georgia relations, and a landmark interim US-Iran agreement that reshapes regional stability. We discuss the ceasefire framework, sanctions relief, and how the Iran war’s resolution affects Armenian security, energy markets, and the broader South Caucasus landscape.

This Week in Review covers a tense mix of global and Armenian political crises, from Trump’s summit with Xi Jinping and the deepening Iran war, to Armenia’s worsening relations with Russia and the risks to trade, energy, and security ties. Hovik and Asbed also examine Armenia’s heated election climate, including allegations of state pressure, abuse of administrative resources, selective law enforcement, Pashinyan’s violent campaign rhetoric against opposition leaders, and the muted response of international observers. The episode also looks at Robert Kocharyan’s call for major-power guarantees for peace with Azerbaijan, and the vandalism of the Sourp Nshan Armenian Church in Javakhk.

Dr. Arman Grigoryan joins Groong to discuss Armenia’s post-2020 foreign policy and his argument that Pashinyan’s government has replaced one failed project, maximalist claims over Artsakh, with another: a risky strategic pivot away from Russia and toward the West. The conversation examines “revolutionary recklessness,” the roots of the 2020 war, Armenia’s worsening ties with Russia, the surrender of Artsakh, TRIPP and Syunik, Western encouragement, and the absence of firm security guarantees. Grigoryan also considers whether Armenia is gaining real sovereignty or exposing itself to greater pressure from Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Russia.

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, Dr. Anatol Lieven joins us to examine Russia’s place in a rapidly shifting global order. The discussion looks at the war in Ukraine, the state of Russia-EU relations after Viktor Orbán’s political defeat, and the uncertain trajectory of the war on Iran, including whether any real diplomatic offramp still exists. They also explore whether Russia’s relationship with Iran is truly strategic or mainly transactional, how China fits into the wider balance of power, and what all of this means for the South Caucasus, Armenia’s current path under Pashinyan, and Azerbaijan’s ambitions to turn wartime leverage into lasting regional influence.

This Conversations on Groong episode with Mikael Darbinian examines Armenia’s security crisis through the lens of the Strong Armenia doctrine. The discussion focuses on deterrence, diplomacy from a position of strength, Azerbaijani positions inside Armenia’s sovereign territory, the risks around TRIPP and the Zangezur Corridor, the rights of Artsakh Armenians, regional war scenarios involving Iran, and the gap between international political theater and Armenia’s unresolved national security threats.

This Groong Week in Review covers Trump’s Iran ceasefire, failed US-Iran talks in Islamabad, the naval blockade, and Washington’s war politics. Asbed and Hovik also examine “Operation Kochari,” Shahin Mustafayev’s secret visit to Armenia, TRIPP, border demarcation, Armenia-Azerbaijan trade, Azerbaijan’s destruction of the Stepanakert cathedral, Pashinyan’s response, the MPG poll, opposition coalition math, election fraud risks, the EPC meeting, legal pressure, mass surveillance, and Armenia’s falling press freedom ranking.

We examine how the Iran war fallout and the extension of the ceasefire are reshaping Armenia’s geopolitical position. We break down the push for the TRIPP or Zangezur Corridor and the claims of Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization, and assess how they tie to regional power dynamics involving Iran, Russia, Turkey, and the United States. The episode also covers Armenia’s 2026 elections and rising elite tensions. In addition, we discuss the global commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, contrasting international messaging with domestic narratives and linking it to ongoing debates around Artsakh and historical continuity.

In this episode of the Groong podcast, we speak with Dr. Dmitry Suslov about the shifting geopolitical landscape across the Iran war, the Ukraine conflict, and the South Caucasus. We examine the fragile state of the Iran war and its impact on global trade and regional escalation, Russia’s strategic positioning, and the potential for a broader conflict involving Azerbaijan and Turkey. The discussion then turns to the Ukraine war, focusing on attrition, Europe’s growing militarization, and the prospects for a long-term Russia–Europe confrontation. Finally, we explore Russia’s policy in the South  Read More

Prof. Warwick Powell discusses his thermoeconomic view of world politics, where energy, money, and information form a single system. We connect the war on Iran to declining U.S. energy efficiency, the limits of airpower, de-dollarization, and the rise of alternative financial and information architectures. We also bring the conversation back to Armenia, asking what TRIPP, SMRs, and large AI data centers could mean for a small state trying to protect its energy and information sovereignty. We close by reflecting on considerations for Armenia in implementing centralized data infrastructure, more  Read More

In this Week in Review episode, Ambassador Dziunik Aghajanian discusses the stalled Iran negotiations after the Islamabad talks, the renewed pressure around Hormuz and the naval blockade, Turkey’s posture toward Israel and the region; Armenia’s lower-profile participation in the Antalya Diplomatic Forum; Russia’s shifting rhetoric on TRIPP and the South Caucasus; and the June 7 parliamentary election in Armenia, including constitutional changes, border concessions, the gas pipeline rerouting issue, and the use of surveillance and arrests against opposition figures.

This Week in Review examines how foreign shocks and internal political pressures are converging for Armenia. We look at the breakdown of US-Iran talks and the threat of a new naval blockade, Viktor Orban’s defeat in Hungary and what it may mean for the region, and fresh polling in Armenia on security, war, free speech, voter participation, and party support ahead of the 2026 elections. The episode also explores whether the Abkhaz railway could offer Armenia a real alternative to routes that deepen dependence on Azerbaijan and Turkey, and what the latest polling says about the opposition’s position.

In this Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed discussed the escalating US-Israeli war on Iran and the danger of a wider regional catastrophe; we reflected on the tenth anniversary of the April 2016 Four-Day War and what it revealed about Armenia’s military and diplomatic posture; we examined the fallout from Pashinyan’s Moscow visit and the increasingly blunt Russian response, and reviewed the fast-moving Armenian election campaign, including pressure on the opposition, EU involvement, and the emerging strategies of major the various alliances.