TEHRAN (Iran News) The Iranian Foreign Ministry has welcomed a peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia, saying that peace and stability in the Caucasus benefits all countries in this region. The ministry, at the same time, has expressed concern over the adverse effects of foreign intervention at joint borders.

The Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Saturday, a day after Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed the deal, brokered by US President Donald Trump, at the White House. The deal is aimed at ending a decades-long territorial dispute including on the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is closely monitoring current developments in the South Caucasus region and remains in contact with both neighboring countries, the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia, regarding these developments,” the statement read.

“Undoubtedly, peace and stability in the Caucasus region benefit all countries in this region. The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes the finalization of the peace agreement between the two countries and considers it an important step toward achieving lasting peace in the region,” it further said in reference to the deal signed on Friday. “Azerbaijan-Armenia”

The Islamic Republic of Iran also “expresses concern over the negative consequences of any foreign interference in any form, particularly near common borders, which could undermine regional security and sustainable stability.”

While emphasizing the adoption of all necessary political, legal, and economic measures to safeguard its national rights and interests, the Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the establishment of transit routes and unblocking connection networks will serve the stability, security, and economic development of regional countries only if they are based on mutual interests, respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and free from foreign interference, according to the statement.

The ministry also announced Iran’s readiness to continue constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation with both Azerbaijan and Armenia to preserve regional peace, stability, and economic development through bilateral and regional mechanisms, such as the 3+3 format.

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The leader of the breakaway province said he was heading to the front and that the “final battle” for the region had begun, seven days after new fighting erupted in the decades-old dispute, AFP reported.

Armenia’s Defense Ministry said Karabakh’s separatist forces had repelled a “massive attack” by Azerbaijan in one area of the frontline and had launched a counter-offensive.

“Heavy fighting is ongoing on other flanks,” Defense Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said its forces had “captured new footholds” and that the Armenians had “suffered serious losses in manpower and military hardware”.

The clashes came after the regional capital Stepanakert came under artillery and rocket fire on Friday. Residents hid in shelters and on Saturday were clearing up wreckage and sweeping up the shattered glass windows of their homes and shops.

At least one person was reported killed in the shelling.

Both sides have been accused of hitting civilian areas, with Azerbaijan saying Saturday that Armenian artillery had shelled 19 of its settlements overnight.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Friday that civilians are bearing the brunt of the surge in violence.

“Since the escalation started, the ICRC has provided emergency medical supplies to hospitals and body bags to the forensic bureau in Nagorno-Karabakh. We are currently trying to assess health-related and other humanitarian needs, including the situation of those who have left their homes. Our ability to move in the field is limited because of the intensity of fighting and the volatility of the situation,” said Bertrand Lamon, ICRC’s head of mission in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The new fighting erupted last Sunday and mounting international calls for a halt to the hostilities and a return to negotiations over the dispute have gone unanswered.

The leader of the breakaway province, Arayik Harutyunyan, said he was headed to join the “intensive fighting” on the frontline.

The Armenian side has reported 158 military deaths and said 14 civilians have been killed. Azerbaijan has reported 19 civilian deaths but has not confirmed any fatalities among its troops.

Russia, the United States and France – whose leaders co-chair a mediation group that has failed to bring about a political resolution to the conflict – called on the warring sides this week to immediately agree a cease-fire.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov talked by phone on Friday and expressed concern over the involvement of Syrian and Libyan militants in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said.

Two Syrian sources have told Reuters that Turkey is sending Syrian militant to support Azerbaijan, something both Ankara and Baku have denied.

Armenia said Friday it was “ready to engage” with mediators but Azerbaijan – which considers Karabakh under Armenian occupation – has said Armenian forces must fully withdraw before a cease-fire can be brokered.

Karabakh’s declaration of independence from Azerbaijan amid the collapse of the Soviet Union sparked a war in the early 1990s that claimed 30,000 lives.

Talks to resolve the conflict have made little progress since a 1994 cease-fire agreement.

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