Pro-Russian Armenian critics push 'Jewish project' claims as Trump corridor advances

Pro-Russian Armenian critics, including former Prime Minister Khosrov Harutyunyan, are alleging that the US-backed TRIPP transport corridor is a 'Jewish project' serving hidden Israeli interests, as Armenia advances the agreement amid deteriorating relations with Moscow. The official agreement provides for a 74% American stake via a US government agency and a 26% Armenian stake.

Pro-Russian Armenian political figures and opposition commentators are advancing antisemitic conspiracy theories about the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a US-backed transport corridor championed by President Donald Trump that would connect mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave through southern Armenia. Former Armenian Prime Minister Khosrov Harutyunyan explicitly described TRIPP as a 'Jewish project' in an interview, alleging that Israel proposed renaming the Zangezur Corridor to overcome Armenian objections. Political analyst Arthur Khachikyan claimed that figures connected to the Israeli lobby and Trump's inner circle stand behind the project. The official agreement, however, provides for a 74% American stake owned by the US International Development Finance Corporation, a government agency, and a 26% Armenian stake, with no Israeli or Kushner ownership. The article notes that the actual defense relationship between Israel and Azerbaijan, including a reported $235 million Israeli arms deal with Elbit Systems, has provided fertile ground for these accusations. The broader political confrontation was on display at an October 30 Moscow meeting where Russian officials criticized Armenia's Western-oriented policies.