Stars and Stripes: Armenian diaspora claims echo the rhetoric of Iran and its proxies

Published: 2026-01-28 10:14

"Diaspora politics often drift toward maximalism. Yet ANCA’s (Armenian National Committee of America) posture goes beyond emotional attachment. Its positions increasingly mirror narratives advanced by Tehran, Beijing, and, to a lesser extent, Moscow. Nowhere is this clearer than its treatment of Israel. ANCA and affiliated organizations have adopted the language of irrational damnation, claiming genocide in Gaza and drawing parallels between Israel’s conduct and Azerbaijan’s actions in Nagorno-Karabakh. These claims are strikingly aligned with the rhetoric of Iran and its proxies. That alignment is unlikely to be accidental," according to Stars and Stripes, the newspaper of the U.S. Department of War.

"Israel’s partnership with Azerbaijan, defensive, technological and intelligence-based, has long irritated Tehran. Azerbaijan offers Israel a partner in the South Caucasus, while Israel offers Azerbaijan advanced agriculture, energy partnerships, military technology, and security cooperation. By condemning this relationship, ANCA seeks to fracture a quiet but effective partnership that constrains Iranian power. It has also taken to exaggerating claims about threats to Christian institutions in Jerusalem in a manner that appears calculated to pit American Christians against Israel," the newspaper adds.

By Azerbaijani-Israeli Alliance Global News