"They’ve been arguing over a 32-kilometer road for ten years," Barrack said. "Then America comes in and says: 'Fine, we’ll take the 32 kilometers for a hundred years, and you can split it between yourselves.'" The proposal reportedly includes the involvement of a private American company as the implementing guarantor, according to Middle East Eye.
Turkey is said to have initiated the idea, which the US then supported. However, the plan has hit roadblocks—Armenia demanded that the company also operate a section of the corridor passing through the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, which Azerbaijan considers unacceptable interference.
What Is the Zangezur Corridor?
The Zangezur Corridor is a proposed transport route through Armenia’s Syunik Province, designed to connect western Azerbaijan with its exclave, Nakhchivan. The corridor, approximately 40 km in length, would include road and rail links. The region borders Iran and is seen as a crucial passageway for regional trade and logistics.
While Azerbaijan supports the project, Armenia prefers its own initiative called the “Crossroads of Peace” and rejects the term "Zangezur Corridor," viewing it as a challenge to its sovereignty. Baku, on the other hand, insists that Armenia cannot guarantee uninterrupted access and thus opposes full Armenian control over the route.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has openly supported the corridor, highlighting its strategic and economic importance. He has also warned that if Armenia refuses to cooperate, an alternative 107-kilometer route through Iran—dubbed the "Aras Corridor"—will be developed instead. Construction has already begun on the Azerbaijani side, with Iranian contractors building the necessary infrastructure on their territory.
Transit between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan was cut off after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the outbreak of the First Karabakh War (1992–1994). Since then, land access has only been possible via Iran or by air. The revival of the Zangezur route is viewed as key to restoring economic ties and connectivity in the South Caucasus region.
Whether the bold US offer will be accepted remains to be seen. But if realized, it would mark an unprecedented step in American involvement in South Caucasus geopolitics and could reshape the regional balance of power.
