Last updated: May 29, 2026
Strong Armenia is a political alliance competing in the June 7, 2026 Armenian parliamentary elections, led by businessman and opposition figure Samvel Karapetyan . MPG polling conducted ahead of the elections placed Strong Armenia consistently in second place, making it one of the most viable opposition forces in the race.
Groong has covered Samvel Karapetyan’s rise as a political figure and the formation of Strong Armenia as a vehicle for opposition voters who do not align with the Armenia Alliance led by Robert Kocharyan . Episodes examine the party’s positions on foreign policy, the Artsakh displaced population’s right of return, relations with Russia and the West, and the question of whether the fragmented Armenian opposition can coordinate to deny Civil Contract a governing majority.
Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Strong Armenia.
Episode 579 | Recorded: August 18, 2026
#Armenia #SouthCaucasus #Mecca #TRIPP #Iran #Russia #Azerbaijan #EAEU #CSTO
Episode 579 | Recorded: August 18, 2026
#Armenia #SouthCaucasus #Mecca #TRIPP #Iran #Russia #Azerbaijan #EAEU #CSTO
In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dziunik Aghajanian about Armenia’s precarious position between Iran, Russia, and emerging Middle East power shifts. We discuss the Mecca joint defense pact signed by Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, Iran’s warnings over TRIPP, Ilham Aliyev’s militarization plans in Nakhijevan, Armenia’s growing energy dependence, Russian deadlines for Yerevan, and how the Established Opposition is testing its parliamentary strategy ahead of the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election.
Episode 578 | Recorded: August 17, 2026
#Armenia #IranWar #TRIPP #Syunik #SouthCaucasus #RussiaArmenia #Nakhichevan #ArmenianPolitics
Episode 578 | Recorded: August 17, 2026
#Armenia #IranWar #TRIPP #Syunik #SouthCaucasus #RussiaArmenia #Nakhichevan #ArmenianPolitics
An apparent unwritten ethical agreement between Civil Contract and the opposition to maintain parliamentary civility masks a larger question: is Strong Armenia trading political leverage for immunity from prosecution?
In this episode of Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed discuss Armenia’s precarious position amid escalating Iran War risks, Russia’s December ultimatum on the Eurasian Economic Union, and deepening security threats from TRIPP. We examine how a broader US-Iran conflict could devastate Armenia through refugee flows and logistics collapse, why Pashinyan’s EAEU defiance has triggered Russian pressure, and what frozen CSTO membership actually means for Armenian security.
Episode 576 | Recorded: August 10, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #ArmenianChurch #GareginII #TRIPP #ArmeniaRussia #SouthCaucasus #Groong
Episode 576 | Recorded: August 10, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #ArmenianChurch #GareginII #TRIPP #ArmeniaRussia #SouthCaucasus #Groong
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.
Episode 574 | Recorded: August 3, 2026
#ArmenianNews #Tigranashen #ArmenianRailways #TRIPP #SouthCaucasus #ArmeniaRussia #ZangezurCorridor #Geopolitics
Episode 574 | Recorded: August 3, 2026
#ArmenianNews #Tigranashen #ArmenianRailways #TRIPP #SouthCaucasus #ArmeniaRussia #ZangezurCorridor #Geopolitics
In this week’s Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed discuss Armenia’s new parliament sworn in on August 2, 2026, and the Armenia Alliance’s direct challenge to Civil Contract over Tigranashen. We examine the government’s evasive responses on territorial red lines, Armenia’s challenge to Russia’s railway concession, and how TRIPP reshapes regional power dynamics in the South Caucasus.
Episode 573 | Recorded: July 31, 2026
#Armenia #GreatPurge #AghasiKhanjyan #PietroShakarian #Artsakh #ArmenianChurch #PoliticalRepression #MemoryUnderSiege #Authoritarianism #SovietArmenia
Read MoreEpisode 573 | Recorded: July 31, 2026
#Armenia #GreatPurge #AghasiKhanjyan #PietroShakarian #Artsakh #ArmenianChurch #PoliticalRepression #MemoryUnderSiege #Authoritarianism #SovietArmenia
Read MoreIn this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dr. Pietro Shakarian about memory, repression, and state power in Armenia across Soviet and contemporary periods. We discuss the Great Purge in Soviet Armenia, the assassination of Aghasi Khanjyan, the suppression of Armenian national institutions under Stalin and Beria, and the parallels between Stalinist erasure and current efforts to control public memory, symbols, and mourning in post-Artsakh Armenia under the Civil Contract regime.
Episode 572 | Recorded: July 29, 2026
#ForeverWars #NATO #IranWar #Armenia #TRIPP #MAGA #USForeignPolicy #SouthCaucasus
Episode 572 | Recorded: July 29, 2026
#ForeverWars #NATO #IranWar #Armenia #TRIPP #MAGA #USForeignPolicy #SouthCaucasus
In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Christine Arakelian about American foreign policy fractures, Iran war risks, and Armenia’s pivot to the West. We discuss whether the United States has coherent foreign policy, the collapse of the MAGA coalition over Forever Wars, NATO 3.0 and Europe’s militarization, and how Pashinyan’s post-2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election government is navigating TRIPP amid global instability.
Episode 571 | Recorded: July 27, 2026
#Armenia #UkraineWar #Iran #CaspianSea #SouthCaucasus #MiddleCorridor #ArmenianPOWs #Geopolitics
Episode 571 | Recorded: July 27, 2026
#Armenia #UkraineWar #Iran #CaspianSea #SouthCaucasus #MiddleCorridor #ArmenianPOWs #Geopolitics
In this week’s edition of the Armenian News podcast, Hovik and Asbed analyze escalating regional tensions as Ukraine expands operations into the Caspian Sea, striking Iranian and Russian assets. We examine how this merger of the Northern and Southern conflicts affects Armenia, Kazakhstan’s energy security, and Pashinyan’s diplomatic positioning amid new pressure from Western capitals following Aliyev’s recent visits to Germany and Berlin.
Episode 567 | Recorded: July 13, 2026
#ArmenianNews #NATOSummit #IranWar #TRIPP #ArmeniaAzerbaijan #ArmenianParliament #GareginII #OSCE
Episode 567 | Recorded: July 13, 2026
#ArmenianNews #NATOSummit #IranWar #TRIPP #ArmeniaAzerbaijan #ArmenianParliament #GareginII #OSCE
In this Groong Week in Review episode, Hovik and Asbed cover the 36th NATO summit in Ankara, escalating Iran war developments, and Armenia’s removal of murals honoring fallen soldiers. We discuss NATO’s defense spending surge, Trump’s shift on Turkey and F-35 access, Ukraine aid commitments, and what these geopolitical shifts mean for Armenia and the South Caucasus amid ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations.
Episode 566 | Recorded: July 9, 2026
#Russia #UkraineWar #NATO #Europe #Armenia #SouthCaucasus #TRIPP #Syunik #EAEU
Episode 566 | Recorded: July 9, 2026
#Russia #UkraineWar #NATO #Europe #Armenia #SouthCaucasus #TRIPP #Syunik #EAEU
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.
Markedonov analyzes why Samvel Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia party emerged as the primary opposition force despite his lack of political background, signaling Armenian society’s demand for alternatives.
Episode 565 | Recorded: July 8, 2026
#ArmenianNews #SouthCaucasus #UkraineWar #Russia #Armenia #EAEU #TRIPP #Geopolitics
Episode 565 | Recorded: July 8, 2026
#ArmenianNews #SouthCaucasus #UkraineWar #Russia #Armenia #EAEU #TRIPP #Geopolitics
In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dr. Sergey Markedonov about Russia’s strategic position amid the Ukraine War and its implications for Armenia. We discuss why Moscow remains bogged down in Ukraine despite its military superiority, how the war of attrition shapes Russian bandwidth for the South Caucasus, the geopolitical role of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, and Pashinyan’s Western pivot following the June 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election.
Episode 564 | Recorded: July 6, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianNews #Pashinyan #ArmenianPolitics #SouthCaucasus #ConstitutionalCourt #SurveillanceState
Episode 564 | Recorded: July 6, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianNews #Pashinyan #ArmenianPolitics #SouthCaucasus #ConstitutionalCourt #SurveillanceState
In this episode of Groong Week in Review for July 5, 2026, Hovik and Asbed analyze Armenia’s Constitutional Court ruling upholding the disputed 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election results. We examine the disqualification of Prosperous Armenia votes, Civil Contract’s three-fifths majority, the opposition’s parliamentary leverage, and what these outcomes mean for Armenian sovereignty amid ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process negotiations and regional pressures.
Episode 562 | Recorded: June 29, 2026
#ArmenianGenocide #Armenia #Israel #Pashinyan #RussiaArmenia #SouthCaucasus
Episode 562 | Recorded: June 29, 2026
#ArmenianGenocide #Armenia #Israel #Pashinyan #RussiaArmenia #SouthCaucasus
In this week’s Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed discuss Israel’s historic recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Russia’s ongoing warnings toward Armenia, and the political uncertainty following the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election. We examine the geopolitical context behind Israel’s decision, Pashinyan’s measured response, and what these developments signal about Armenia’s regional position amid shifting US-Turkey relations and broader Middle East tensions.
Episode 561 | Recorded: June 22, 2026
#ArmenianNews #Armenia #Iran #USIranTalks #ArmenianElections #SouthCaucasus #NikolPashinyan #TRIPP
Episode 561 | Recorded: June 22, 2026
#ArmenianNews #Armenia #Iran #USIranTalks #ArmenianElections #SouthCaucasus #NikolPashinyan #TRIPP
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.
Episode 560 | Recorded: June 22, 2026
#ArmeniaElections #USIranNegotiations #SouthCaucasus #TRIPP #Iran #ArmanGrigoryan
Episode 560 | Recorded: June 22, 2026
#ArmeniaElections #USIranNegotiations #SouthCaucasus #TRIPP #Iran #ArmanGrigoryan
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.
Episode 559 | Recorded: June 18, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianElections #HrantMikaelian #NikolPashinyan #CivilContract #ArmeniaRussia #Polling
Episode 559 | Recorded: June 18, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianElections #HrantMikaelian #NikolPashinyan #CivilContract #ArmeniaRussia #Polling
In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Hrant Mikaelian about the disputed aftermath of Armenia’s June 7, 2026 parliamentary election. We discuss allegations of electoral fraud, threats against opposition parties, the Anti-Corruption Committee’s proposed ban on opposition groups, Armenia-Russia tensions following the vote, and the EU’s financial support for Armenian agricultural exports amid Russian sanctions.
Episode 558 | Recorded: June 15, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianNews #ArmenianElections #CivilContract #Pashinyan #ArmenianConstitution #Referendum #ProsperousArmenia #SouthCaucasus #CEC
Episode 558 | Recorded: June 15, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianNews #ArmenianElections #CivilContract #Pashinyan #ArmenianConstitution #Referendum #ProsperousArmenia #SouthCaucasus #CEC
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.
Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections saw Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party secure a majority amid disputed fraud allegations, while the West celebrates the outcome and Russia withholds endorsement, setting the stage for constitutional conflicts over peace negotiations with Azerbaijan.
We analyze the disputed results of Armenia’s June 7, 2026 parliamentary election, examining Civil Contract’s contested majority, alleged irregularities and invalid ballots, the OSCE/ODIHR preliminary report, the last-minute exclusion of Prosperous Armenia, opposition arrests and pressure, and what a three-fifths majority could mean for Armenia’s courts, institutions, and foreign policy. Arthur G. Martirosyan examines Armenia’s contested 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election, discussing whether the vote was free and fair, how state pressure and Western backing shaped the Read More
Episode 557 | Recorded: June 9, 2026
#ArmenianElections #Armenia #NikolPashinyan #CivilContract #StrongArmenia #ArmenianOpposition
Episode 557 | Recorded: June 9, 2026
#ArmenianElections #Armenia #NikolPashinyan #CivilContract #StrongArmenia #ArmenianOpposition
In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Arthur G. Martirosyan about Armenia’s contested 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election and Pashinyan’s path to a third term. We discuss whether the vote was free and fair, how state pressure and Western backing shaped the outcome, the razor-thin thresholds that determine parliamentary representation, Pashinyan’s post-election crackdown against the Established Opposition, and what a Civil Contract supermajority would mean for Armenia’s governance and the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process.
Episode 556 | Recorded: Jun 9, 2026 #ArmenianElections #ArmenianNews #CivilContract #Pashinyan #Election2026 #SouthCaucasus
Episode 556 | Recorded: Jun 9, 2026 #ArmenianElections #ArmenianNews #CivilContract #Pashinyan #Election2026 #SouthCaucasus
In this episode of Groong Week in Review, we analyze the disputed results of Armenia’s June 7, 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election. We examine Civil Contract’s contested majority, alleged irregularities and invalid ballots, the OSCE/ODIHR preliminary report, the last-minute exclusion of Prosperous Armenia, opposition arrests and pressure, and what a three-fifths majority could mean for Armenia’s courts, institutions, and foreign policy.
Episode 554 | Recorded: June 3, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianElections #Election2026 #IODA #OSCE #ODIHR #Geopolitics #Democracy
Episode 554 | Recorded: June 3, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianElections #Election2026 #IODA #OSCE #ODIHR #Geopolitics #Democracy