Iranian international affairs expert Hamid-Reza Gholamzadeh said that Turkey and Azerbaijan want to build a road between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan, effectively erasing Iran's border with Armenia. He made these remarks in an interview that aired on October 3, 2021, on Ofogh TV (Iran). Gholamzadeh said that Israel is behind these plans and that if necessary, Iran will "punish" Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Hamid-Reza Gholamzadeh: "What Turkey and Azerbaijan want to do, and as I said, it appears that Israel is behind these plans… They want to take control of our border with Armenia and to create a road between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan, so that Azerbaijan could use this road. This would erase our border with Armenia, such that we would [effectively] share a border with Azerbaijan. Such a change would be dangerous for us and it conflicts with our interests. It would effectively change our border.
"This is not something that can easily be done in international geography... The measures and countermeasures taking place in the area are reflective of rivalry when it comes to this issue. Iran responded in a very mild fashion and said that if this change takes place, and if there is a need, Iran will punish Azerbaijan and Turkey."