► Wang Kaiwen of Wen Observer Network

According to the Yitong News Agency, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on August 24th, local time, that the United States tried to force Iran to obey through confrontation, and the Iranian people would resolutely resist this humiliating demand. Khamenei also criticized that those who advocate direct negotiations with the United States to solve the problem are "superficial".

¡°The Supreme Leader of Iran ruled out the possibility of direct negotiations with the United States,¡± the Financial Times commented, noting that it was at the time of Khamenei¡¯s remarks that the Iranian reformists called for the resumption of diplomatic relations with the United States, a move that sparked dissatisfaction among the Iranian hardliners.

According to reports, the event on the 24th was Khamenei's first public address to thousands of people since the Israeli-Iranian conflict in June. Previously, he had only released a brief video message and attended some ceremonial events to a limited extent.

According to the Financial Times, Khamenei's absence has raised concerns about the stability of Iran's leadership after Israel's death threats, and at the same time, there is growing pressure within Iran to demand that leadership change its course and improve relations with Washington.

In a speech on the 24th, Khamenei said: "The current U.S. politicians in power have exposed the nature of their hostility towards Iran-they essentially want to bring the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic to submission." He did not name US President Trump.

Khamenei also criticized Iranian politicians who advocated direct negotiations with the United States as "surface" and stressed that "the Iranian nation will resolutely resist such (US) demands."

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei makes a public speech

According to reports, Iranian Foreign Minister Alaghzi said in an interview last month that he had been in touch with U.S. Middle East envoy Steven Witkov, who proposed to resume negotiations.

The Financial Times pointed out that Iranian reformists are now increasingly vocal, seeking to push Iran to restart diplomatic relations with the United States, and calling for a suspension of uranium enrichment activities and a resumption of negotiations aimed at ending decades of hostilities. However, Iranian hardliners reacted vehemently, and some even proposed to remove Iran's reformist President Pezehizyan, who was elected last year.

Khamenei expressed his support for Pezzhiyan in his 24th speech: ¡°The people should support those who serve the country, especially those who are diligent and tireless like the president.¡±

The Yitong News Agency said that Khamenei warned that hostile forces were trying to create differences within Iran to achieve their goals. He called on all Iranian people, officials and intellectuals to make every effort to maintain and consolidate the current unity.

In the early morning of June 13 local time, Israel suddenly launched a military strike against Iran, airstrikes on dozens of targets related to Iran¡¯s nuclear program and other military facilities. This 12-day military conflict resulted in more than 1,000 civilians killed and dozens of Iranian senior commanders and nuclear scientists killed.

Although open hostilities have ceased, a formal cease-fire has yet to be agreed and there are fears of renewed clashes. The Financial Times said that recent fires in many parts of Iran have heightened public fears that a "dark war" is still going on, but Iranian officials deny this.

In 2018, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement, and subsequently resumed and continuously escalated unilateral sanctions against Iran. Under the mediation of Oman, the United States and Iran have held five rounds of indirect negotiations since April this year, with mediation agents taking the lead. The two sides have huge differences on a number of core issues. The sixth round of talks was originally scheduled to be held on June 15. Iran withdrew from nuclear talks with the United States after Israel's air strikes on Iran.

Before Khamenei's speech, Araghzi had a telephone conversation with the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on August 22nd. According to CCTV news reports, Araghzi elaborated on Iran's position on the so-called "rapid restoration of sanctions" mechanism and the responsibilities of the three European countries and the European Union in this regard. Araghzi said that Iran has never given up diplomatic channels and is willing to accept any diplomatic solution that protects the rights and interests of the Iranian people.

European officials say European countries are willing to seek a diplomatic solution. The parties decided that the negotiations at the level of deputy foreign ministers between Iran and Britain, France and Germany will continue on the 26th of this month.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kallas, said Europe is committed to resolving the nuclear issue through diplomatic routes. With the deadline of the "rapid resumption of sanctions" mechanism approaching, whether Iran is ready to engage with the United States is crucial.

Further reading

As part of the U.S.-brokered peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the two countries will sign a joint declaration establishing a transit corridor through Armenia between Azerbaijan and its enclave of Nakhchivan.

According to a report by Iran's Tasnim news agency on August 9 local time, Ali Akbar Velayati, a foreign affairs adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader and a former foreign minister, said on the same day that Iran opposes the construction of this border crossing corridor on the Iranian border. "Trump seems to think he is a real estate agent and wants to lease a piece of land or area." But Velayati pointed out that the South Caucasus is not a "no man's land" that US President Trump can rent.

Mr. Velayati called the Caucasus "one of the most sensitive geographical points in the world" and said the corridor, if built, would be "the grave of Trump's mercenaries".

Bloomberg mentioned on August 9 local time that once the transit corridor plan is implemented, it will change the geopolitical status and borders of the region. Velayati said that "the intention of the plan is to divide Armenia." "The idea of renting corridors to other countries is childish, and Trump is playing dumb. Trump claims he can rent a corridor on the other side of the world, just as someone rented the Panama Canal to him. This is impossible and will not happen." Velayati said Iran believes that Russia is also strategically opposed to the corridor.

Ali Akbar Velayati, foreign affairs adviser to the Supreme Leader of Iran and former foreign minister, file photo

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, war broke out between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the issue of Innargo-Karabakh (Naka region). Although the two countries reached a comprehensive ceasefire agreement in 1994, it has been hostile and armed conflict has occurred.

With Armenia defeated in the second Naka conflict that broke out in September 2020, and Azerbaijan re-launched military operations in the second half of 2023, eventually taking control of the entire Naka region, Armenia began to retreat geopolitically.

In December 2023, Azerbaijan and Armenia issued a joint statement reaffirming their intention to normalize relations and reach a peace agreement on the basis of respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. However, after 2025, the two countries have difficulty reaching an agreement on the draft peace agreement, and the mediation of Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and other parties has been stalled for a time.

On August 7 local time, Trump posted on social media that the US government has been in continuous contact with the two countries for some time and looks forward to fully unlocking the potential of the South Caucasus in the future. He later announced that Azerbaijani President Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan will hold a "historic peace summit" and "peace agreement signing ceremony" at the White House.

On August 8, local time, Azerbaijan and Armenia issued a joint statement announcing that the two countries signed a peace agreement in Washington on the same day, and that after 40 years of conflict, "the conditions for establishing good-neighborly relations have finally been created."

It is noteworthy that White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly revealed at a press conference on August 8 local time that the two countries will sign a joint statement determining the establishment of a transit corridor across Armenia between Azerbaijan and the Philippines. She boasted that the United States will then have the exclusive franchise to develop the corridor granted by Armenia and the 99-year operating right, which will be named as the so-called ¡°Trump International Road to Peace and Prosperity¡± (TRIPP).

In fact, the creation of this transit corridor would also separate Armenia from Iran, making the two countries no longer connected.

The location of the so-called ¡°Trump International Road to Peace and Prosperity¡± transit corridor

In addition, Azerbaijan and Armenia are expected to sign bilateral economic agreements with the United States. An anonymous White House official was also smug. "Armenia will get a huge strategic business partner, which may be the most powerful and strategic partner in world history: the United States." He did not forget to jabber, "The losers here will be China, Russia and Iran."

According to a report by the Russian Satellite News Agency on August 9, local time, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova said that the talks between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the United States are worthy of recognition, but the intervention of foreign forces should not create additional difficulties.

Zakharova said: "We have always supported all efforts that will help achieve the key goals of security in this region. Therefore, the meeting of leaders of the South Caucasus republics in Washington under the mediation of the United States deserves recognition. I hope this move will help promote the peace agenda." Zakharova said that the best solution to the South Caucasus problem lies in seeking and implementing solutions developed by countries in the region themselves with the support of neighboring Russia, Iran and Turkey.

The 42-kilometer transit corridor is expected to include railways, oil and gas pipelines and fiber-optic lines, allowing the passage of goods and people, managed by a private U.S. company.

Nikkei Asia quoted analysts as saying that the United States is trying to intervene in the South Caucasus, a strategic location that Russia, Iran and China are all highly concerned about, by promoting the Asia-Arab peace process. "This is equivalent to planting the U.S. flag at the intersection of the borders of Russia, Iraq and Turkey," said Brenda Shaffer, a professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

The report pointed out that this layout directly targets the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor (TITR, also known as the "Intermediate Corridor"). This trade corridor, which connects Central Europe and passes through Central Asia, is regarded by the United States as a strategic alternative because it avoids Russia and Iran.

If the TRIPP project is successfully implemented, the United States 'dominance of the "Middle Corridor" will be greatly enhanced, and the regional economic pattern may change, thereby diverting the regional influence of China's "Belt and Road" initiative. The latter also has the core goal of building the logistics artery of China and Europe.

The U.S. action has also been interpreted as an important step of the Trump administration's strategy of "containing China with regional fulcrum".

Analysts say that from a broader perspective, the U.S. intervention in the South Caucasus region has added a ¡°new dimension¡± to Trump¡¯s foreign policy.In addition to the ¡°return to Asia¡± strategy, the Trump administration believes that strengthening its position in areas such as the South Caucasus and the Middle East will help the United States better compete with China.

Zineb Riboua, a researcher at the Hudson Institute, claimed that if the United States wants to formulate a global policy against China, it needs to ensure that China does not "shake a wave" in the Red Sea, Djibouti and other places.

Based on this demand to contain China, the South Caucasus is regarded by the US as a "strategic link" connecting the Middle East with Europe and Central Asia, providing "indirect leverage" to pressure China by strengthening the US's influence at the "crossroads" of Eurasia.

In February this year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China said that the "Belt and Road" is an economic cooperation initiative, since 2013, the field of cooperation has been continuously expanding, the scope of cooperation has been expanding, the results of cooperation have continuously benefited the people of all countries, has become the world's most popular international public goods and the largest international cooperation platform "Belt and Road" cooperation has benefited the people of more than 150 countries, strongly promoted the common development of developing countries.