By Sonya Dymova
Armenia has dismissed reports it has signed a closed-door, $500-million arms deal with neighboring Iran.
The reports are “fictitious and false,” Aram Torosyan, the spokesperson for Armenia’s Defense Ministry, told the state-run Armenpress news agency Thursday.
The day before, the United Kingdom-based, Saudi Arabia-linked Iran International news channel reported that Tehran plans to supply Yerevan with suicide drones and air defense missile systems, citing an anonymous “senior military official in the Middle East.” The secret deal also allegedly covers intelligence cooperation and the establishment of Iranian bases on Armenian soil.
A number of Telegram channels linked to Armenia’s Defense Ministry also claimed the report was false, with some even alleging Azerbaijan sponsored the article in an effort to hinder Armenia-United States relations.
The Armenian Times, a news site headed by the wife of Armenia’s prime minister, also said the news was “false and does not correspond to reality.”
There was no immediate response from Iran.
This development comes amid continuous U.S. efforts to batter Tehran’s burgeoning drone industry with sanctions, as well as steps by Armenia to seek closer cooperation with the West.
Since the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, Armenia has entered into several major weapons deals with France and India, as the country attempts to move away from its traditional arms supplier Russia.
Iran International’s report came out the same day Armenia concluded its latest round of joint military drills with the United States. The exercises, known as Eagle Partner, have prompted strong condemnation from Russia.
Read more: What weapons have Armenia and Azerbaijan bought since the 2020 war?
