BAKU, August 15 — Azerbaijani truck drivers traveling from Nakhchivan to Baku through Iran say they are being subjected to severe delays and inhumane conditions at Iranian border crossings, with some forced to wait for weeks without adequate food, water, or shelter.
Veteran driver Rasim Rustamov told Oxu.Az that the problem has persisted for over a year but has worsened in recent days. “Queues have become unbelievably long. Iranian trucks are given priority, while ours are made to wait. If they let 100 Iranian trucks pass, at least 50 should be ours. Why don’t they do that?” he said.
Another driver, Suleyman Gaybaliyev, criticized Iranian restrictions on carrying fuel across the border, noting that Azerbaijan allows Iranian drivers to bring in 200 liters, but Iranian authorities prohibit Azerbaijani trucks from carrying even 50–100 liters. “It’s unfair. They keep us like prisoners in the desert for weeks. Can you imagine living in dirt and dust for so long?” he said.
Drivers reported that in some areas there are no toilets, food, or drinking water, and to buy basic supplies they must walk kilometers under the sun. Some said Iranian officials told them: “If you don’t like it, use the Trump Route.”
According to the Telegram channel Free Iran, the increased pressure follows Tehran’s opposition to the U.S.-brokered tripartite declaration signed on August 8 by Azerbaijan, Armenia, and the United States, which includes plans for the “Trump Route” (Zangezur Corridor) connecting mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan under U.S. oversight. Iran has strongly objected to the initiative.
