Following the Iranian Ayatollah's statement suggesting his country helped Azerbaijan in Karabakh war years, Iran attempted to cajole both Armenia and Azerbaijan, while counteracting Turkey, according to director of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS).

As Manvel Sargsyan stated at a discussion titled “Karabakh Issue in Armenia and International Scene: New Situation, Old Approaches”, the statement by the Iranian Embassy in Armenia, which stressed Tehran's respect for the nations’ right for self-determination and Iran's protesting the stationing of foreign troops in the region, proves the above-mentioned fact.

As the expert noted, the statement of Ayatollah was a was a well-thought move, as a spiritual leader couldn’t have been informed of military sector-related details. “It's a political step. Iran is attempting to hold control of both Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Sargsyan said.