Washington, August 9, 2025: Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a U.S.-brokered peace agreement on Friday at the White House, in a deal hailed as a breakthrough after decades of conflict.
The accord, mediated by U.S. President Donald Trump, commits the two South Caucasus rivals to end hostilities, open diplomatic relations, and respect each other’s territorial integrity. It also grants the United States exclusive development rights to a strategic transit corridor through the region, aimed at boosting energy exports and regional trade.
“It’s been 35 years of fighting — now they’re friends, and they’re going to be friends for a long time,” Trump said at the signing ceremony alongside Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Both leaders praised Trump’s role and pledged to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The agreement marks a major diplomatic win for Trump in the early months of his second term and is expected to unsettle Moscow, which views the South Caucasus as part of its sphere of influence. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in dispute since the late 1980s over Nagorno-Karabakh — a mountainous region that broke away from Azerbaijan with Armenian backing before Baku regained full control in 2023.
As part of the deal, the United States signed separate cooperation agreements with both nations covering energy, trade, technology, and defense. Restrictions on U.S.-Azerbaijan defense cooperation have been lifted.
Iran welcomed the pact as “an important step toward lasting regional peace” but cautioned against foreign interference near its borders. Analysts said the agreement could help the West clamp down on Russian sanctions evasion while redrawing regional trade and energy routes.
Still, experts warned the peace is fragile. “Armenia and Azerbaijan have a longer record of failed negotiations than peaceful resolutions,” said Olesya Vartanyan, an independent regional analyst. “Sustained U.S. engagement will be critical to avoid renewed tensions.”
Trump has sought to brand himself a global peacemaker, with the White House crediting him for ceasefires and agreements in Asia, Africa, and South Asia. He is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15 to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
The so-called “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” has already attracted interest from nine companies, including three U.S. firms, according to officials.
Rights groups urged Washington to use the diplomatic opening to press Baku on human rights, including the release of hundreds of political prisoners. Azerbaijan has dismissed Western criticism as interference in its internal affairs.
