Iranian Government Spokesperson: Zangezur Corridor Not Linked to Loss of Iranian Borders

Kokcha News Agency: Fatemeh Mahajerani, the spokesperson for the Iranian government, stated during a press conference regarding the Zangezur Corridor: “The Zangezur Corridor has nothing to do with the loss of Iran’s borders. This area, known as the Zangezur Corridor, is a small part of our border, and the agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been portrayed in a strange and exaggerated manner on social media, as if our entire northern border has been lost.”

She added: “Stability in the region, the preservation of territorial integrity, maintaining the overall map, and safeguarding existing sovereignty are our demands, and we have always pursued them. We are never pleased with the presence of foreign forces in neighboring countries, and we closely monitor developments. The issues Iran has been concerned about have been addressed in this agreement, although it would be better if the people of the region themselves could establish peace.”

Mahajerani also addressed the issue of removing zeros from the national currency, stating: “In a report presented by Dr. Farzin, the head of the Central Bank, to the government, this issue was raised. According to the Central Bank Law, the national currency of Iran is the ‘Rial,’ so if zeros are to be removed, this law must be amended.”

She added: “In government meetings, this issue has been examined from various angles, including its social, psychological, cultural, and historical impacts. It was even suggested that the term ‘Toman’ has non-Iranian roots, and ‘Rial’ is also a term derived from foreign languages. In this regard, it was proposed that perhaps we could move towards selecting units with more indigenous cultural roots. Discussions on this issue have been ongoing since 2007. However, the government’s current conclusion is that the main unit should be ‘Toman,’ and its smaller unit should be ‘Qiran.'”

The government spokesperson emphasized: “The head of the Central Bank, as the government’s representative, is seriously pursuing this issue. On the other hand, the Presidential Office for Parliamentary Affairs will fully cooperate with the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament) in amending the law and making the final decision. It should be noted that changing the national currency is a time-consuming and phased process and will not be implemented suddenly or without preparation.”