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An abandoned station, a few rusted carriages and a dozen metres of track constitute the only remnants of a Soviet railway in southern Armenia.

While appearing improbable, this derelict stretch of railway in the Caucasus region has been selected to transform into an emblem of diplomatic peace by the US president, known as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.

Scattered around are remains of a statue from a memorial to a communist hero. A female statue is missing an arm.

"We are on the Trump route, alternatively called Crossroads of Peace, the ancient trade route, and the Zangezur Corridor," says Marut Vanyan. "However currently none of this appears Western."

Regional Conflict Resolution

This constitutes one of the "unendable wars" the US president asserts to have brought to an end, through a diplomatic settlement between Armenia and its long-time enemy Azerbaijan.

The plan envisages US companies moving in under a century-long agreement to develop the 43km route through Armenian territory along the complete frontier with Iran, establishing a passageway linking Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhchivan.

Rail transport, motorway and pipelines are all promised and the president has mentioned of companies spending "significant funds, that will financially advantage the three participating countries".

At the site, the magnitude of the undertaking becomes apparent. This connectivity project will have to be built from scratch, but political hurdles far outweigh financial considerations.

Geopolitical Implications

Trump's intervention could reshape international relations of a region that Moscow considers as its sphere of influence. Hardliners in Tehran are also worried and have warned to block the project.

The Tripp proposal is key to ending a conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan that originated from Nagorno-Karabakh, a part of Azerbaijan historically populated by.

During 2023, Azerbaijani forces regained the contested area, and nearly all ethnic Armenians were displaced. This didn't represent the initial displacement in these hostilities: in the 1990s over 500,000 Azerbaijanis became refugees.

Global Participants

US mediation became possible because of Moscow's diminished influence in the South Caucasus.

For years, the Kremlin worked towards re-opening the route that currently carries US presidential designation.

Despite Moscow's suggestion for its FSB border troops to protect the planned route was declined, they still patrol the stretch of the Armenian-Iranian frontier that was selected as the peace corridor.

Armenia's Syunik region represents a key hub for international trade, and commercial vehicles and traders from Iran commonly appear. Persian engineering firms are constructing a new bridge that will intersect the planned corridor.

The Aras River that separates the Islamic Republic and Armenia is the very line the route is set follow.

Remains uncertain how the US and Iranian companies will co-exist in Armenia, given recent US involvement in the Israel‑Iran war.

Regional Cooperation Prospects

Additionally exists growing Western involvement in southern Armenia.

French authorities initiated military equipment transfers to Yerevan and has opened a consulate in Syunik. An EU monitoring mission operates within the region, and the proposed corridor European officials view as part of a "middle corridor" linking it with Central Asia and China and bypassing Russia.

Ankara shows interest to benefit from opportunities arising from diminished Moscow presence.

Ankara is in talks with Armenia to establish diplomatic ties and has voiced support for the peace initiative, which would establish immediate connectivity from Turkish territory to Azerbaijan through the separated region.

Armenia's government appears calm about multiple international stakes. It wants to become a "International Peace Junction" where every neighboring nation can collaborate.

"Officials claim everything will be fine and that we can expect massive European investment, modern infrastructure and commercial relations involving Iran, America, Europe, Turkey and Azerbaijan," the journalist comments while expressing skepticism.

An official settlement between the two nations remains unsigned, but certain facts emerge: since the Washington meeting, no gunfire has been fired on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

Trump's intervention has provided some immediate respite to residents who long have lived in fear of renewed fighting.