America Needs Policies That Make Sense From Their Allies
In the wake of economic disaster, mass public opposition, and weeks of nationwide demonstrations against the bankrupt, corrupt, and violent regime, Iran’s response — mass repression and the murder of its own citizenry — only betrays its weakness and underscores its fragility.
If the regime falls, a transformed Iran, which may stop sponsoring global terrorism, antisemitism, and the pursuit of nuclear weapons, would benefit not only the Iranian people. This will be a boon for the entire Mideast and Iran's northern neighbors in the Caucasus, not least Armenia.
As Yerevan seeks to distance itself from Russia, it would clearly be better off building relationships with the U.S. and Azerbaijan, rather than worrying about its neighbors in Tehran.
However, the Iranian regime continues to make murderous threats in this moment of crisis, and, surprisingly, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), a diaspora lobby, has chosen to emulate Tehran's policies and attack Washington's friends and allies in the Middle East and the Caucasus, including Israel, the UAE, Azerbaijan, and even the Armenian government in Yerevan.
Indeed, ANCA appears to regard the government in Yerevan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan as a traitor to Armenia because it has acknowledged Armenia's defeat in the wars over Nagorno-Karabakh and, with help from the Trump administration, seeks peace with Azerbaijan. ANCA also opposes the Trump Road for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a transportation artery across the Zangezur corridor, which connects Azerbaijan and Armenia with the regional power, Turkey.
The corridor, once operational, would help Armenia realize its quest for prosperity.
By consistently criticizing Israel in the midst of its defensive war with Iran's terrorist proxy Hamas and accusing Azerbaijan of genocide in Karabakh while overlooking the Armenian-generated ethnic cleansing that took place in that territory after 1993, ANCA appears to follow Iran's line.
And by backing Iran - and Russia, which tried to launch coups in Armenia in 2024 and 2025 - ANCA is openly clashing with U.S. policies in the Mideast and the Caucasus, mirroring Russian and Iranian attacks.
The organization’s connections raise serious questions. ANCA, in putting forth its November 2025 joint statement, associated itself with CODE PINK, which has potential ties to the Chinese Communist Party, the publicly-discredited International Association of Genocide Scholars, and the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention & Human Security, which hijacked the name and the legacy of Raphael Lemkin – who defined the term genocide – against the will of his surviving relatives, and Jewish organizations.
The Lemkin Institute denies the inappropriate usage of the Lemkin name in the following press release. Previously, the institute did not respond to the author's inquiries in this matter.
It's unclear how ANCA's association with such groups serves the interests of Armenia.
Israeli analysts have found that ANCA's attacks against Pashinyan do not just partake of Iranian influence but are supported by extremist diaspora groups who are captivated by the myth of a greater Armenia comprising Nagorno-Karabakhand Mt. Ararat, and eternal animus against Turkey for the genocide of 1915-1916.
Groups like ANCA inveigh against Baku and Jerusalem while supporting Tehran and Moscow.
The issue here is not ANCA's right to speak but rather whether these positions benefit Armenia, whose government is committed to domestic democratic reforms, regional peace, and integration with the West.
While we know that a transformed Iran will likely end the race for a nuclear weapon and support for belligerent terrorists such as the Houthis, Hamas, and Hezbollah, it will also help pacify the Caucasus.
Pacification would benefit not only Armenia and Azerbaijan but also the Mideast.
In the past, Iran not only supplied Armenia with energy but also sold it weapons totaling several hundred million dollars right up to 2024.
Losing Armenia as a client and partner is obviously a source of anger for the discredited and struggling Iranian theocracy.
But beyond support for Armenia, Iran carried out a generation-long program of subversion and Islamist incitement against Azerbaijan. And due to Tehran's paranoia about its own oppressed Azerbaijani population, it came close to a clash with Azerbaijan.
If we take into account Iran's nuclear threat and global support for terrorism against Israel and Gulf states, it should be clear that Armenia and its friends have much to gain from a transformed Iran.
Nevertheless, ANCA recently attacked both Israel and Azerbaijan in connection with a bill before Congress, H.R. 6534, that would lift restrictions on U.S. trade and military sales to Baku.
Here again, we must ask who would benefit from a diminished U.S. presence in the Caucasus. Certainly, neither Armenia nor the Iranian people gain from that outcome.
And that's the key point. At a time when the Ayatollahs' incendiary regime is tottering, ANCA's policies make no sense for the U.S., Armenia, or the people of Iran.
(Editor's Note: The preceding column reflects the opinions of its author and not of Newsmax Media.)
Colonel (Retired) Wes Martin - a retired U.S. Army colonel, served as the first Senior Antiterrorism Officer for all Coalitions in Iraq and holds a MBA in International Politics and Business. Read more Col. (Ret.) Wes Martin Insider articles --- Click Here Now.