Armenia emerges as critical evacuation corridor in Iran conflict

2026-03-02 - 16:45

On Feb. 28, President Donald Trump announced that “major combat operations” in Iran had begun, in coordination with Israel, describing the action as a preemptive strike on Tehran. Trump said, “To the members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, the armed forces and all of the police, I say tonight that you must lay down your weapons and have complete immunity, or in the alternative, face certain death.” With its strategic location and role as one of the few possible safe transit routes from Iran to the outside world, Armenia plays a crucial humanitarian role during the conflict. Amid rapid escalations and developments, regional states directly or indirectly affected by the conflict began taking precautions to ensure the safety of their citizens. Following the targeting of American assets in the Gulf states by the Islamic Republic of Iran, flights from Yerevan to Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar were cancelled. On the first day of the conflict, representatives of Armenian government agencies met to discuss the situation and consider relevant measures. As a result, a working group was formed to implement the agreed-upon framework. At the same time, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry urged Armenian citizens in Iran and Israel to abide by all security measures. The ministry also provided hotlines for the Armenian embassies in Iran and Israel. On March 1, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry said no Armenian casualties had been reported as a result of the hostilities. However, explosions were reported near St. Sarkis Armenian Church in central Tehran a day earlier. Armenia’s Security Council also held a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, attended by President Vahagn Khachatryan and other senior officials. Officials presented reports and provided updates on the working group’s measures. Additional instructions were issued to ensure the continued safety of Armenia and Armenian citizens in conflict-affected states. On the diplomatic front, Canada, Russia and China announced that Armenia was prepared to facilitate the evacuation of their citizens from Iran through Armenian territory, specifically via the Agarak border crossing in southern Armenia. The United Arab Emirates also announced it was prepared to oversee the evacuation of Armenian citizens through Oman to Armenia, if necessary. On March 2, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan extended condolences to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian following the deaths of Iranian leaders and citizens. The statement said, “At this difficult moment, we sincerely hope for the swift restoration of peace and stability in the Middle East.” At the same time, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan spoke by phone with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, to discuss the rapidly developing situation in the Middle East and expressed “his condolences to the families of those killed in Iran.” Armenia’s Defense Ministry stated that relevant bodies were taking necessary steps to ensure safety and stability. The Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs also said that there were no reported Armenian casualties. Meanwhile, Geghard Mansourian, an Armenian lawmaker in Iran’s parliament, said: “Very important areas were hit by missiles. I myself was in Tehran, and of course, as I am telling you now, in the past two or three hours I myself have already left Tehran and am heading toward Isfahan. Thank God, nothing has happened within the Armenian community.” Domestically, opposition lawmaker Gegham Manukyan said images showing Pashinyan and members of his ruling party “on a bus, eating pastries, meeting residents and even playing cards” drew significant public backlash and reflected poorly on the government’s sense of responsibility. Another opposition lawmaker, Artur Khachatryan, questioned whether the government understood the economic consequences of a prolonged closure of the Iranian border and whether it had a plan if 50,000 or 100,000 people were to arrive from Iran. Mayr Hayastan party leader Andranik Tevanian accused the ruling party of focusing solely on preserving power. In response, Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Arayik Harutyunyan said such criticism exploited the crisis for political gain.