Iran’s ambassador slams Yerevan protests, claims Armenia enables anti-Iranian activity

Iran’s ambassador to Armenia criticized Armenian law enforcement on Wednesday for allowing members of Yerevan’s Iranian community to hold daily protests near the country’s embassy, accusing the authorities of tolerating actions he described as offensive and hostile to Tehran.

“Iranian officials are concerned that a group of people is being allowed to come to the Iranian embassy, uttering improper and insulting remarks. We have repeatedly complained to relevant agencies in Armenia, but the picketers have acted with impunity,” Ambassador Khalil Shirgholami said.

He went further, alleging that Armenia is becoming a platform for anti-Iranian activity.

“Tehran is getting the impression that Armenia is turning into a center of activity of forces that have hostile attitudes toward Iran,” the diplomat added.

Speaking of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project pursued in Armenia, the ambassador said Tehran has concerns that "America might use this project for its security policy purposes."

"We have communicated our concern to our Armenian partners. They assured us that Armenia would never become a source of threat for Iran. We hope that Iran's concerns will be considered and dispelled. We'll continue to keep focused on this issue," Shirgolami said.

As of publication, Armenia’s foreign ministry and interior ministry have not publicly responded to Shirgholami’s remarks.

The protests are held in a park across the street from the Iranian embassy in Yerevan’s Arabkir district. Armenian law enforcement officers guard the perimeter of the embassy and prevent protesters from crossing the road or blocking access to the building. Police usually intervene when individuals, including local residents, approach the building too closely, take photographs, or linger near the perimeter, but do not act against demonstrators as long as they remain on the opposite side of the street.

The protests have remained non-violent, with no attempts to storm the embassy or throw objects at the building.

Armenia’s constitution guarantees freedom of assembly regardless of nationality or ethnic background, and the authorities cannot deny this right on diplomatic grounds.

The demonstrations are linked to ongoing unrest in Iran, where riots began in late December. Iranian officials said on Tuesday that around 2,000 people had been killed in the unrest, while international human rights groups and media outlets have cited figures as high as 12,000, though these remain unconfirmed. Verifying casualty numbers has been difficult amid widespread internet shutdowns in Iran and limited information coming from the country.