Leading U.S. think tank: Trump Route bypasses Russia and Iran’s preferred trade corridors

Published: 2025-12-16 13:41

"Russia, Iran and other regional players have varying degrees of discomfort with the TRIPP. For Russia and Iran, the TRIPP bypasses their preferred trade routes and undercuts prospects for their North South Transport Corridor linking Russia to the Indian Ocean. Tehran has long opposed strengthening links among the Turkic states, would lose its current transit leverage over the South Caucasus, and would now face increased U.S. (perhaps Israeli) presence along its northern border," writes the Hoover Institution, one of the leading U.S. think tanks with a conservative lean.

"The best advice for Washington - in addition to pressing for continued implementation momentum as discussed above - is to adopt the spirit of multi-vectoral policy to make the TRIPP and associated developments as broadly palatable as possible. Don’t exclude Chinese, Russian, or Iranian cargoes or companies (except those in sanctioned categories of trade). Don’t press the U.S.-led consortium as the vanguard of a commercial invasion designed to exclude the companies of other nations. Adopt and amplify steps that complement TRIPP but don’t originate in Washington - such as the recent announcement from Ankara of intent to reopen the border with Armenia within six months," the think tank adds.

By Azerbaijani-Israeli Alliance Global News