The Armenia–Azerbaijan peace deal, officially titled the Agreement "On the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan," was a landmark accord brokered with the intention of permanently resolving the protracted and often brutal Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This agreement, initialed on 8 August 2025, at the White House in Washington, D.C., saw the participation of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, with United States President Donald Trump serving as a witness and mediator. The joint declaration signed on this occasion underscored the commitment of both nations to continue their efforts toward the formal signing and subsequent ratification of the comprehensive agreement.
A significant concession extracted from Armenia within the framework of this deal was the agreement to withdraw Russian defensive forces from the Armenia-Azerbaijani border. This withdrawal, a move with considerable geopolitical implications, signaled a shift in regional security dynamics.
Perhaps the most defining element of the accord is the provision for the construction of a new transportation route. While referred to as the "Zangezur corridor" by Turkish and Azerbaijani sources, the U.S. officially designated it the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity" (TRIPP), a testament to President Trump's pivotal role in its conception. This route is envisioned to directly link mainland Azerbaijan with its exclave, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, bridging a 32-kilometer (20-mile) gap of Armenian territory. Crucially, the land designated for the TRIPP will remain under Armenian sovereignty and be governed by Armenian law. However, the United States has secured exclusive rights to develop the corridor for a period of 99 years. This development is particularly significant given the existing Turkish–Azeri blockade against Armenia, which has historically hampered direct transit through the region. Beyond its immediate function, the completion of the TRIPP promises to establish a vital transit artery connecting Europe with Azerbaijan and the broader Central Asia region, bypassing the traditional routes through Russia or Iran. Predictably, this U.S.-led initiative has drawn sharp criticism from both Iran and Russia, who view the American involvement as a direct challenge to their regional influence and a clear encroachment on their spheres of interest.
Background
The genesis of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can be traced back to 1988, a period marked by escalating ethnic tensions within the Soviet Union. The immediate catalyst was the demand by ethnic Armenians for the annexation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) to Armenia. As the Soviet Union began to unravel, the autonomous region, then a part of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, became the focal point of an increasingly violent confrontation. The enclave's parliament, on February 20, 1988, formally voted to unite with Armenia, a move that Azerbaijan vehemently opposed. The ensuing conflict, often characterized by brutal ethnic cleansing and pogroms on both sides, plunged the region into chaos as the Soviet Union dissolved.
Following Azerbaijan's declaration of independence and the subsequent abolition of the NKAO's autonomous status by the Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet, the ethnic Armenian majority within the enclave declared its own secession. A referendum on independence, held in 1991 and boycotted by the Azerbaijani population, saw an 82.1% voter turnout, with an overwhelming 99.9% in favor of independence. This led to the establishment of the unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The full-scale war erupted in the early months of 1992. Despite the efforts of international mediators, including various groups associated with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), a lasting resolution remained elusive. By the spring of 1993, Armenian forces had expanded their territorial control beyond the enclave itself, raising concerns about wider regional involvement. The war concluded in 1994 with Armenian forces in de facto control of the majority of the enclave and approximately 9% of Azerbaijani territory outside its former borders. The conflict resulted in immense human suffering, with an estimated 353,000 Armenians displaced from Azerbaijan and 500,000 Azerbaijanis displaced from Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. A fragile ceasefire, brokered by Russia, was signed in May 1994, which, while halting direct hostilities, did not resolve the underlying political issues and paved the way for protracted diplomatic efforts.
The years following the initial ceasefire were punctuated by persistent border skirmishes. These tensions escalated significantly in 2008 with the 2008 Mardakert clashes, which began on March 4, immediately after the controversial 2008 Armenian election protests. This outbreak of violence resulted in dozens of casualties on both sides, with each party claiming victory. The fighting marked the most intense engagement between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces since the 1994 ceasefire. In response to the escalating violence, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 62/243 on March 14, demanding the immediate withdrawal of all Armenian forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Further sporadic clashes occurred, including the 2010 Nagorno-Karabakh clash on February 18, which resulted in the deaths of three Azerbaijani soldiers and injuries to one. The [2010 Mardakert clashes](/2010_ Mardakert_clashes) were particularly deadly for Armenian forces, contributing to a grim toll of 74 soldiers killed on both sides between 2008 and 2010.
A significant escalation occurred in April 2016 during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, a four-day engagement that resulted in hundreds of casualties and only marginal shifts along the front line. The conflict reached a devastating intensity in late 2020 with the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. This large-scale war claimed thousands of lives and concluded with a decisive Azerbaijani victory. An armistice, formalized through a tripartite ceasefire agreement on November 10, saw Azerbaijan regain control of all occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as capture approximately one-third of Nagorno-Karabakh itself. Despite this agreement, ceasefire violations in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Armenian–Azerbaijani border persisted in the subsequent years.
Azerbaijan consolidated its control over the disputed territory and surrounding regions through military actions in both 2020 and 2023.
In October 2022, the European Union deployed a civilian mission to Armenia, aimed at assisting in the delimitation of the border with Azerbaijan. This mission was intended to bolster peaceful negotiations, provide technical expertise for border demarcation, and promote regional stability amidst ongoing tensions.
On March 13, 2025, it was announced that both Armenia and Azerbaijan had reached an agreement on all terms of the peace deal. This development was hailed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as "historic," while European Union High Representative Kaja Kallas described it as "a decisive step."
Political analyst Thomas de Waal attributed the progress towards the agreement largely to the strategic maneuvering of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who made significant concessions to facilitate the deal. De Waal also observed that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has consistently leveraged the conflict with Armenia as a tool to solidify his domestic authority, rarely emphasizing the benefits of peace.
Geopolitical Significance
The South Caucasus Pipeline, a crucial conduit for natural gas connecting Azerbaijan and Turkey, serves as a backdrop to the strategic importance of the newly envisioned route. The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, or TRIPP, is slated for development with the United States holding 99-year subleasing rights for the land. This consortium is expected to develop not only rail and road infrastructure but also oil and gas pipelines, as well as fiber optic lines and potentially electricity transmission systems along the 43-kilometer (27 mi) corridor.
This agreement marks a significant reduction in Russian influence within the South Caucasus. Armenia's diplomatic pivot towards Western partnerships, accelerated by Azerbaijan's 2023 military actions in Nagorno-Karabakh, has created an opening for enhanced U.S. economic and strategic engagement in the region. The accord effectively sidelines the OSCE Minsk Group, a Russia-centric mediation body now largely considered defunct. In essence, the United States has supplanted Russia as the primary mediator in this volatile region.
An unnamed U.S. official informed Axios that a central objective for the United States in this project is to diminish the influence of Iran, Russia, and China in the South Caucasus. The TRIPP is designed to facilitate the movement of goods and people between Turkey and Azerbaijan, extending eastward to Central Asia, without necessitating passage through Iran or Russia. U.S. Senator Steve Daines further elaborated that the deal would enable the export of energy and mineral resources from the region, circumventing traditional Russian and Chinese transit routes.
Despite welcoming the broader peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Iran has issued threats to block the planned TRIPP route, citing unspecified security concerns.
Reactions
Both Iran and Russia have publicly condemned the United States' role in the proposed Zangezur corridor, characterizing it as an unacceptable encroachment on their regional interests. Furthermore, the peace deal has faced criticism for its failure to adequately address the right of return for ethnic Armenians who were displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh following Azerbaijan's prolonged military siege and subsequent offensive. Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America, strongly denounced the agreement, stating that "normalizing ethnic cleansing is not peace." He argued that the accord was predicated on the erasure of Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian identity, the abandonment of sacred sites, the neglect of remaining hostages, and the entrenchment of Azerbaijani occupation.
Armenian critics have also pointed to the peace agreement's silence on Azerbaijan's persistent "Western Azerbaijan" irredentist concept, which lays claim to all of Armenia. This narrative, often promoted by Azerbaijani state-aligned entities, is seen as a direct threat to Armenia's territorial integrity and a continuation of expansionist ambitions.