Armenian MP:

US, Israel Sole Instigators, Benefiters of Karabakh Conflict

TEHRAN (defapress)- Karabakh conflict will not bear any fruit but human and economic loss, an Armenian lawmaker in Iran’s Parliament Aara Shahverdian said, adding that Washington and Tel Aviv are the hands behind the conflict and the only ones to benefit from escalation of tension in the region.

News ID: 82287

Date: 14 October 2020 - 13:56

“The war between Azerbaijan Republic and Armenia has no result but destruction of cities and killing of civilians,” Shahverdian said and noted that the United States and Israel are hell-bent on fomenting war in the Caucasus region as they are the ones that will benefit from the war between Yerevan and Baku.

“Azerbaijan and Armenia, should immediately start an unconditional ceasefire and resolve their problems at the negotiating table,” he went on to say.

“The United States, the Zionist Regime and their allies are the only ones who benefit from these conflicts,” the MP said.

"In fact, the US and the Zionist Regime are the hands behind the curtain who are trying to flare up tensions in Karabakh through sending their terrorist elements to this region," Shahverdian reiterated.

“Another point to note is that the conflict zone is near Iran's borders, and the Americans are trying to bring insecurity to Iran's borders if possible,” he noted.

The lawmaker called on Iranians to adopt a united approach towards the Karabakh conflict to defend territorial integrity and maintain the security of borders.

In relevant remarks on Tuesday, Iranian Government Spokesman Ali Rabiyee called on the neighboring states of Azerbaijan and Armenia to take part in serious talks to resolve their differences of the Karabakh issue based on respect for international laws and territorial integrity.

“We welcome the termination of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh as a step towards peace and we call on our neighbors to participate in serious talks based on respect for international laws and territorial integrity and avoid any action that disrupts the ceasefire and the first steps towards diplomacy and peace,” Rabiyee told reporters in a press conference in Tehran on Tuesday.

“I need to express the deep concern and regret of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran over the killing of civilians and emphasize the need to avoid a repetition of these incidents as the region and the people of our countries need peace and tranquility more than ever,” he added.

Rabiyee said that the Islamic Republic of Iran has declared its readiness to mediate, help resolve the crisis and reduce tensions between the two countries.

The call came days after a ceasefire brokered by Moscow was enforced to pull the plug on 25 days of fighting there.

The agreement to pause hostilities in order to exchange prisoners and the bodies of those killed was approved by the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in marathon talks in the Russian capital on Friday.

The talks were the first diplomatic contact between the two former Soviet republics since the recent escalation that broke out in late September. About 500 people have been reported killed.

Despite truce efforts, overnight clashes continued into Monday morning, according to reports which said the sound of shelling was heard in the main city of Khankendi.

Forces backed by Armenia were also reported to have attacked the Azeri town of Barda, not far from the front line, on Monday.

The Azeri Defense Ministry said Armenian forces were not complying with the Russian-brokered ceasefire.

Armenia, for its part, accused Azerbaijan of “intensively shelling the Southern front”, according to Armenian Defense Ministry Spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan.

Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but it has been held by ethnic Armenian separatists backed by Armenia since 1992 when they broke from Azerbaijan in a war that killed some 30,000 people.
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