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Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Maj Gen Mohammad Hossein Baqeri has said Tehran is ready to dispatch observers to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, Iran’s Defapress website, an outlet affiliated to the military, reported on 4 October.
Baqeri made his remarks in a meeting with the visiting Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council Armen Grigoryan in the wake of the Azerbaijani military offensive on 19-20 September in its breakaway Karabakh region.
The offensive saw Azerbaijan taking control of the region, the dissolution of the self-declared Republic of Artsakh and a mass exodus of the Armenian population from Karabakh to Armenia.
Baqeri told Grigoryan that the continuation of tensions was not in the interests of either Armenia or Azerbaijan or any other regional country, adding that Iran was ready to facilitate to the peaceful resolution of these tensions.
„The boost of defence power and military capabilities of any other country should not pursue aggressive goals. ” Baqeri added.
Baqeri reiterated Tehran’s position that it was „extra-regional forces„ that „sought division and unrest”, and that the security in the region should be provided by regional countries.
He also railed against the recent joint US-Armenian drill in Armenia, saying the „presence of new players from outside the region complicates the situation and adds to the instability.” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian had earlier criticised the drill as well.
During his visit, Grigoryan also met Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Akbar Ahmadian as well as Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian.
