Sargis Khandanyan, head of the Armenian Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee and MP from the ruling Civil Contract party, stated that “NATO cannot have any presence in Armenia.”

“Armenia has no aspiration to become a NATO member,” Khandanyan said during a media briefing, as reported by Aysor.am .

He explained that Armenia maintains a certain framework of cooperation with NATO, but this does not involve NATO’s physical presence in the country.

This statement comes amid concerns expressed by Iranian officials, including Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader. During a meeting with Armenia’s ambassador in Tehran, Velayati warned that the Trump Route project could lead to NATO’s expansion, posing a threat to northern Iran and southern Russia.