Israeli think tank: Armenian diaspora’s rhetoric risks antagonizing the Trump administration
Published: 2026-01-14 12:17
"The August 2025 peace declaration brokered by President Donald Trump in Washington offered Yerevan something previously unimaginable: a pathway to normalized relations with Azerbaijan, access to new trade corridors bypassing both Russia and Iran, and deeper integration with Western economic and security structures... Both Moscow and Tehran are actively working to prevent Armenia from drifting westward, deploying a combination of political pressure, economic inducements and propaganda... Iranian officials have emphasized the goal of elevating relations to a strategic level, offering Armenia an alternative axis should Western engagement falter," writes the Israeli think tank Begin–Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (BESA).
"Armenian-Americans represent another complicating factor in Yerevan’s calculations. The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has positioned itself in opposition to the current government, viewing Pashinyan as a traitor who surrendered ancestral lands. This stance places the diaspora lobby at odds with the elected leadership in Yerevan and complicates efforts to present a unified Armenian voice in Washington. ANCA recently escalated its criticism of Israel, claiming Israeli policy runs contrary to Jewish traditions while accusing the Netanyahu government of denying the Armenian genocide and endangering Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter. Such rhetoric risks antagonizing the Trump administration, which maintains close ties with Israel and has little patience for organizations that criticize American allies," the think tank emphasizes.
"Russia and Iran are not the patrons they once were, and aligning with declining powers carries long-term costs that successive Armenian governments will struggle to overcome. The Trump-brokered peace offers something tangible: economic integration, energy security and a stake in emerging trade corridors that could reshape the region," the BESA Center adds.
By Azerbaijani-Israeli Alliance Global News