On June 30, Iran formally disapproved of and disassociated itself from specific language adopted in the Istanbul Declaration at the recent ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), stressing that the statement’s criticism of Armenia does not reflect Tehran’s official stance.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei clarified that while OIC member states may raise issues in joint documents, those views do not necessarily represent the positions of all members.
“We have always advocated peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Baghaei said. “Peace and security in the South Caucasus are important for us, and we have good relations with both countries. However, we do not support the use of terms in this particular context—as such expressions may suggest territorial claims, which we find entirely inappropriate.”
He added: “We believe the use of such words, which may imply territorial ambitions, is absolutely inappropriate, as they contradict the principles of peace, neighborly relations, and international law.” ()
His remarks—including a clear rejection of the phrase “Western Azerbaijani community”—were reported by both Mehr News Agency and Armenpress, and are widely interpreted as disapproval of terminology that Azerbaijan has promoted in recent diplomatic messaging.
Earlier, Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani reaffirmed Tehran’s firm support for Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, calling any use of the phrase “Western Azerbaijan” in reference to Armenian lands misleading and inconsistent with international law.
Iran’s clarification highlights its continued effort to maintain a neutral and balanced position in the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict, even as it participates in regional and Islamic diplomatic structures.
Background
As previously reported by Zartonk Media, Armenia strongly condemned the resolutions adopted at the 51st Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul on June 21. These resolutions included strong backing for Azerbaijan’s position on the so-called “Western Azerbaijan Community”—a term Armenia has denounced as a thinly veiled territorial claim.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry described the OIC documents as “distorted and extremely one-sided,” warning that the language and framing undermine peace efforts and directly threaten Armenia’s sovereignty. The Istanbul Declaration called on Yerevan to engage with the “Western Azerbaijan Community,” reaffirmed a purported right of return for Azerbaijanis allegedly expelled from Armenia, and accused Armenia of cultural destruction—claims that Yerevan has rejected.
Armenia also noted the irony of such accusations given Azerbaijan’s own history of ethnic cleansing against Armenians, most notably in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in 2023.
