Opposition figure revives proposal for Armenia-Iran railway ahead of June elections

As Armenia approaches parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7, Levon Zurabyan, deputy chairman of the Armenian National Congress and the party’s prime ministerial candidate, has renewed calls for the construction of a railway connecting Armenia with Iran, framing the project as a transformative economic and geopolitical initiative.

In a video posted on social media on Thursday, Zurabyan said the proposed rail corridor, initially designed by China Communications Construction Company, would significantly enhance Armenia’s regional connectivity and reduce its reliance on transit routes through Azerbaijan and Turkey.

He noted that the project envisions a complex infrastructure network featuring 84 bridges and 60 tunnels, with an estimated cost of approximately $3.2 billion. According to Zurabyan, the investment would generate substantial economic benefits for both Armenia and Iran, while strengthening long-term regional integration.

The proposed line would connect the town of Agarak to the Gagarin railway station and extend rail access from Yerevan to several key southern and central cities, including Gavar, Martuni, Jermuk, Sisian, Kapan and Meghri.

Zurabyan argued that the railway would provide Armenia with indirect access to Indian Ocean ports via Iran, potentially opening new trade routes to markets across the Global South and positioning the country as a strategic transit hub linking the Black Sea to the Persian Gulf.

He further stressed the geopolitical significance of the project, claiming it would reduce Armenia’s asymmetric dependence on neighboring Azerbaijan and Turkey for regional connectivity. In his view, this shift would strengthen Armenia’s sovereignty and improve its negotiating leverage in international affairs.

Zurabyan added that the proposal had been presented to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in 2019 but was ultimately rejected.

He described the railway as a “rational path toward peace and development”, presenting it as both an economic modernization initiative and a strategic alternative in Armenia’s foreign policy calculus ahead of the upcoming elections.