President Donald Trump has brokered a landmark agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, ending decades of conflict and granting the United States a 99-year lease over the Zangezur Corridor. This strategic corridor, bypassing Iran, will serve as a vital trade and energy route linking the Caspian Basin to Europe, significantly reducing European reliance on Russia and Iran. The deal gives Washington control over key infrastructure and positions American companies at the center of regional oil and gas transit, while also potentially paving the way for a long-term U.S. military presence. Experts and dissidents describe the move as a major setback for Tehran, stripping Iran of its traditional leverage over east-west commerce and exposing its growing vulnerability in the region. Observers say the agreement not only secures economic and geopolitical gains for the United States but also signals a new era of diminished influence for Iran and Russia in the South Caucasus.