Konstantin Sokolov

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Suren Sargsyan about the Iran War and great power competition for Armenia’s strategic position. We discuss Washington’s unclear endgame in the conflict with Iran, the future of Russia’s military presence in Armenia and CSTO membership, and competing U.S. and European interests in new east-west transit routes through Armenia and Central Asia amid broader geopolitical rivalries.

In this week’s Groong episode, the hosts examine Pashinyan’s confrontation with the Armenian Church, Armenia’s strategic positioning between Russia and the EU, and the geopolitical implications of TRIPP. We discuss the trial of Catholicos Garegin II, Iran’s military leadership realignment, the Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defense pact, and how these shifts reshape Armenia’s role in the South Caucasus.

Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijani custody demand government accountability; opposition faces legal crackdowns; regional powers maneuver as US-Iran tensions escalate near Armenia’s borders.

Asbed and Hovik examine escalating US-Iran war tensions following the June ceasefire collapse, Konstantin Sokolov’s appointment to lead TRIPP+ while acquiring Armenia’s Teghut mine, and Pashinyan’s political vulnerabilities including charges against Archbishop Galstanyan and prolonged Armenian POW detention. Anthony Barsamian discusses Armenian Diaspora advocacy, U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, the role of Armenia’s government in genocide recognition efforts, the suspension of Israeli recognition, the Armenian Church’s place in Armenian life, and Armenia’s geopolitical positioning between East and West.

In this week’s Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed break down escalating tensions across the Middle East as the US-Iran war intensifies following the collapse of the June ceasefire. We examine the strategic implications for Armenia and the South Caucasus, the role of TRIPP advocates like Konstantin Sokolov, and how regional instability intersects with Pashinyan’s political vulnerabilities at home, including charges against Archbishop Galstanyan and ongoing Armenian POW cases.