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Veterans Today (SOURCE):
[Editor’s note: As the conflict in Syria and Iraq enters it’s final phase, we must look for signs of new conflicts igniting in other regions as the War On Terror has not yet run it’s course – there are still political aims to fulfil and profits to be made, so the war will keep on going.
Afghanistan already appears to have descended back into open warfare, and other parts of the region have shown signs of unrest that may spread into conflict.
Clearly Iran has it’s eyes on the Caucasus as one of these potential hot spots, which is sensible as the region is a tinderbox and foreign powers including Israel, Turkey and the US have very strong influence over governments of Georgia and Azerbaijan and could easily ignite a conflict between the latter nation and it’s Armenian neighbour over the contested Nagorno-Karabakh area.
Armenia enjoys the strong and staunch support of Russia, not least because it provides an Orthodox Christian bulwark in a region dominated by Muslim peoples.
Therefore the potential for yet another regional conflict with the US and Russia supporting the opposite sides clearly exists in the Caucasus and Iran is right to be concerned. Ian]
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Tasnim
Iran Warns of Spread of Terrorism in Caucasus
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani cautioned that extremist elements could expand their presence in the Caucasus and Central Asia after being flushed out of Iraq and Syria, calling for concerted action to stem terrorism in the region.
“After suffering a complete defeat in Iraq and Syria, terrorists are likely to try to permeate across the region. Thus, all of us should be wary of such a threat (in the region), as in the Caucasus and Central Asia,” President Rouhani said in a meeting with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan in Tehran on Sunday.
It is necessary for all regional countries to coordinate efforts in the fight against terrorism, a challenge that threatens the security of the entire region, Rouhani added.
The Iranian president also reiterated that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan has only “political solutions.”
The Armenian president, for his part, congratulated Rouhani on taking the office for the second term, voicing his country’s readiness to enhance economic relations with Iran.
Sargsyan called for efforts to raise the level of Tehran-Yerevan trade ties, pointing to the opportunities available for cooperation in the energy industry and transportation.
The Armenian president was among more than 130 foreign dignitaries attending President Rouhani’s inauguration in the Iranian parliament on Saturday.
