Iranian ambassador advises collective West to stop trying to involve  Armenia in its geopolitical games

ArmInfo. A number of European embassies in Yerevan are planting one-sided narratives in Armenian  society in connection with Iran's retaliatory actions against Israel on the night of April 13. Ambassador of Iran to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani stated on April 16 at a press conference in Yerevan, referring to  Iran's retaliatory actions against Israel after the Israeli strike on the Iranian diplomatic facility in Damascus.

He explained that such narratives are spread on Twitter (X) in  Armenian and Farsi in order to promote their own one-sided position.  "Thus, they are trying to discredit Iran in the eyes of the Armenian  society. I advise them to stop this adventure and stop attempts to  drag Armenia into their geopolitical games. They know very well that  one of the key factors of instability in the South Caucasus is the  Zionist regime," Iranian diplomat added.

In this vein, he recalled that Armenian soldiers were killed with  Israeli weapons in the second Nagorno- Karabakh war. "Don't try to  cleanse this regime. A dirty handkerchief doesn't clean glass. You  can't bring peace to the region with double standards," Sobhani  added.  At the same time, he emphasized again that Iran is pursuing a  policy based on peace and neighborliness.  Sobhani stressed that Iran  considers the security of its neighbors as its security. "Viva Iran,  viva Armenia!", he noted.

When asked to comment on Azerbaijan's aggressive rhetoric towards  Armenia and the prospects for signing a peace treaty between Yerevan  and Baku, the Iranian Ambassador noted that Tehran is not happy with  the possible escalation of the situation in the region.

"We are dissatisfied with the possible increase in tension in the  region. The increase in tension harms the peoples of the region, as  well as the neighbors of Armenia and Azerbaijan. We call on both  sides to be calm, urge them to exercise restraint and continue  dialogue on peace," the Ambassador noted.

At the same time, I am confident that important factors in reducing  tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan are dialogue and diplomacy,  as well as respect for national sovereignty and the inviolability of  internationally recognized borders and international law. "War never  solved problems!", he added.  Referring to Tehran's statements about  the inadmissibility of interference by extra-regional forces in the  affairs of the region and clarification whether Russia is also  included in this circle, the Iranian Ambassador explained that  Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia and Turkey are considered  regional countries.

"Russia has a border with Georgia and Azerbaijan, it is not  considered a non-regional country," he said.  "When we talk about  extra-regional forces, we mean countries located on the other side of  the ocean that will not face demographic and geopolitical problems.  That is, they come here from overseas and try to make decisions for  the peoples of this region," the Iranian diplomat said, once again  emphasizing that it is about some European countries and the United  States.