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 601 | Recorded: November 8, 2026
#Armenia #USMidterms2026 #Trump #Pashinyan #ArmenianOpposition #Russia #ConstitutionalCourt #PoliticalPrisoners
Episode 601 | Recorded: November 8, 2026
#Armenia #USMidterms2026 #Trump #Pashinyan #ArmenianOpposition #Russia #ConstitutionalCourt #PoliticalPrisoners
In this week’s Groong episode, the hosts review major developments reshaping Armenia’s political landscape and regional standing. We discuss the Democrats’ sweeping victory in the 2026 US midterm elections and what it means for American foreign policy toward Azerbaijan, the Established Opposition’s unified response to Pashinyan’s crackdown, the Constitutional Court leadership controversy, the fate of political prisoners including Aslanyan’s acquittal, and Armenia’s precarious balancing act between the EU, CSTO, and Eurasian Economic Union as the Civil Contract regime tightens its grip.
Episode 600 | Recorded: November 6, 2026
#Armenia #DziunikAghajanian #USMidterms #Iran #TRIPP #ArmenianConstitution #OppositionUnity #VotingRights
Episode 600 | Recorded: November 6, 2026
#Armenia #DziunikAghajanian #USMidterms #Iran #TRIPP #ArmenianConstitution #OppositionUnity #VotingRights
In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dziunik Aghajanian about the 2026 US midterm elections, Iran’s red lines, and Armenia’s constitutional crisis. We discuss how Democratic gains in Congress may affect TRIPP, Iran’s opposition to transit corridors near its borders, Pashinyan’s push for a new constitution without sufficient parliamentary support, and the opposition’s consolidation against what they view as an Azerbaijani-imposed constitutional framework.
Episode 599 | Recorded: November 1, 2026
#Armenia #IranWar #ArmenianPolitics #TRIPP #TurkeyAzerbaijan #ArmenianPrisoners #ArmenianChurch
Episode 599 | Recorded: November 1, 2026
#Armenia #IranWar #ArmenianPolitics #TRIPP #TurkeyAzerbaijan #ArmenianPrisoners #ArmenianChurch
In this episode of Groong Week in Review for November 1, 2026, we examine regional escalation risks and domestic political turmoil in Armenia. We discuss renewed Iran War threats alongside the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process stalemate, municipal elections under government pressure, parliamentary violence endorsed by leadership, TRIPP and constitutional changes, widening strains between Azerbaijan and Turkey, Armenian Prisoners of War dossiers, and state interference in the Armenian Church—exposing a government prioritizing domestic confrontation over serious preparation for regional conflict.
Episode 597 | Recorded: October 25, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #NikolPashinyan #ArmenianElections #OppositionCrackdown #SnapElections #ConstitutionalReform #DemocracyUnderThreat
Episode 597 | Recorded: October 25, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #NikolPashinyan #ArmenianElections #OppositionCrackdown #SnapElections #ConstitutionalReform #DemocracyUnderThreat
In this Groong Week in Review episode, Hovik and Asbed break down Armenia’s October 25, 2026 municipal elections and the stark reality of one-party rule under Pashinyan. We discuss administrative pressure, opposition arrests in Stepanavan, jailed candidates, and coerced party defections—exposing how Civil Contract dominates through control of police and judiciary rather than genuine democratic competition. We also examine Pashinyan’s threats of snap elections, constitutional changes responsive to Azerbaijani demands, and whether electoral politics can still deliver political change in Armenia.
Episode 595 | Recorded: October 21, 2026
#Armenia #Azerbaijan #Pashinyan #TerritorialSwap #COP17 #ArmenianPOWs #ArtsakhRefugees #Gyumri
Episode 595 | Recorded: October 21, 2026
#Armenia #Azerbaijan #Pashinyan #TerritorialSwap #COP17 #ArmenianPOWs #ArtsakhRefugees #Gyumri
In this episode of Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed break down Pashinyan’s territorial swap proposal with Azerbaijan, examining the strategic implications for Armenia’s 29,743 square kilometers and the security of border communities. We discuss the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process, contradictions between government officials on formal negotiations, inadequate housing aid for Artsakh refugees displaced during the ethnic cleansing, UN inaction on Armenian Prisoners of War, and Gyumri’s emergence as an opposition stronghold ahead of municipal elections.
Episode 593 | Recorded: October 13, 2026
#Armenia #Pashinyan #NuclearEnergy #Azerbaijan #NationalSecurity #SamvelKarapetyan #Corruption #Amulsar
Episode 593 | Recorded: October 13, 2026
#Armenia #Pashinyan #NuclearEnergy #Azerbaijan #NationalSecurity #SamvelKarapetyan #Corruption #Amulsar
In this week’s episode of Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed examine Pashinyan’s abrupt reversal on nuclear energy policy, shifting from Western small modular reactors to consideration of a Russian gigawatt-scale plant amid surging data center demands. We discuss the security implications of long-term energy dependency, the geopolitics behind Armenia’s power infrastructure choices, and ongoing concerns about Azerbaijani infiltration, opposition unity under Samvel Karapetyan, and corruption at COP17.
Episode 591 | Recorded: September 27, 2026
Episode 591 | Recorded: September 27, 2026
In this week’s Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed mark the sixth anniversary of the 44-Day War and examine Armenia’s deepening crisis over historical memory and national identity. We discuss the Armenian government’s controversial response to September 27 commemorations, escalating tension between the state and the Armenian Church, international concern over election integrity, and Armenia’s isolated position as Azerbaijan demolishes Artsakh’s Armenian cultural heritage while Turkey advances regional integration plans.
Episode 589 | Recorded: September 22, 2026
#Armenia #ArthurKhachatryan #ArmeniaAlliance #TRIPP #Tigranashen #Artsakh #SouthCaucasus #ArmenianPolitics
Read MoreEpisode 589 | Recorded: September 22, 2026
#Armenia #ArthurKhachatryan #ArmeniaAlliance #TRIPP #Tigranashen #Artsakh #SouthCaucasus #ArmenianPolitics
Read MoreIn this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Arthur Khachatryan, MP from Armenia Alliance, about opposition strategy following the June 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election. We discuss the Established Opposition’s plans to counter Pashinyan’s agenda, territorial concessions including Tigranashen, Azerbaijani attacks on Armenian heritage, the role of TRIPP and Azerbaijan’s control over transit corridors, the future of Russia’s 102nd military base, and escalating threats against opposition parties.
Episode 581 | Recorded: August 28, 2026
#ArmenianElections #Armenia #NikolPashinyan #CivilContract #StrongArmenia #ArmenianOpposition
Episode 581 | Recorded: August 28, 2026
#ArmenianElections #Armenia #NikolPashinyan #CivilContract #StrongArmenia #ArmenianOpposition
In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Arthur G. Martirosyan about Armenia’s post-election political crisis and Pashinyan’s governance agenda. We discuss the arrest of opposition leaders including Robert Kocharyan, attacks on the Armenian Church, border concessions including Tigranashen, the TRIPP corridor, and how the Established Opposition is strategizing under state repression in the Fourth Republic.
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