Alleged Iranian Arms Deal with Armenia Sparks Controversy in the Caucasus

Allegations of Iranian double-dealing are setting the South Caucasus on edge, threatening to disrupt the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process at a delicate stage. A tangled web of interests among all the players concerned is making it particularly difficult to separate fact from fiction in a supposed arms sale.

The intrigue traces its origins to a July 24 report by a UK-based Iranian opposition media outlet, Iran International, alleging that Tehran has sold $500 million worth of arms, including suicide drones, to Armenia. The source for the piece was…