On August 9, 2025, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a peace deal at the White House, following President Trump’s meeting with the two state leaders. The deal’s objective is to initiate economic ties between the two states after years of conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Nagorno-Karabakh has long been the primary factor fueling hostility between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The two neighboring states have been at odds since the 1980s. Although Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous region located in Azerbaijan, it is largely populated by ethnic Armenians—hence Armenia claims it.

The roots of this conflict stretch back to the early 20th century, during the decline of the Tsarist Empire, when violent clashes broke out between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. Known as the Armenian–Tatar massacres (1905–1906), these clashes resulted in thousands of deaths and the destruction of villages. After the collapse of the Russian Empire, both Armenia and Azerbaijan experienced a brief period of independence, but territorial disputes soon erupted into the Armenian–Azerbaijani War (1918–1920). That conflict ended with both countries being annexed by the Soviet Union.

Tensions re-emerged during the late Soviet era. In 1988, ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh voted to join Armenia.........

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