India, Iran, Armenia Signal Strategic Alignment Over INSTC, Caucasus Link

India, Iran and Armenia convened in Tehran this week for their third round of trilateral consultations, sharpening a quiet but deliberate diplomatic alignment around transregional connectivity and shared economic interests.

Meeting in Tehran, September 2025. Photo courtesy: The Cradle

The meeting--co-chaired by India’s Joint Secretary (PAI) Anand Prakash, Iran’s South Asia head Mohammad Reza Bahrami, and Armenia’s Anahit Karapetyan--placed renewed emphasis on integrating the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) with Armenia’s “Crossroads of Peace” project, amid shifting alignments in the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Diplomats from all three countries reviewed progress since the inaugural meeting in Yerevan (April 2023) and the second in New Delhi (December 2024), describing the format as a “practical mechanism” to pursue mutual economic leverage while reinforcing regional stability.

The trilateral was held alongside India-Iran bilateral political consultations--an annual engagement that has become a fixture in the foreign policy calendar of both countries. 

Prakash and Bahrami, representing their respective ministries, marked 75 years of diplomatic ties, and reaffirmed commitment to deepening engagement across trade, transit, and multilateral coordination.

Delhi and Tehran also reviewed ongoing cooperation under INSTC, financial and commercial linkages, and the broader regional climate. 

Both sides reiterated the importance of the institutional dialogue as a lead-up to foreign office consultations at the Foreign Secretary–Deputy Foreign Minister level.

The next rounds of consultations--bilateral in New Delhi, and trilateral in Armenia--are slated for 2026.