US Congressman Abraham Hamadeh Says Armenia–Azerbaijan Peace Deal Could Come Before Trump’s Term Ends

 US Congressman Abraham Hamadeh Says Armenia–Azerbaijan Peace Deal Could Come Before Trump’s Term Ends

"We Are Off to the Races":

 Why One US Congressman Thinks Armenia and Azerbaijan Could Finalize Peace Soon

A year ago, almost nobody would have predicted this. Now, according to US Congressman Abraham Hamadeh, a final Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement might not just be possible — it might be closer than most people think.

In an interview with RFE/RL on September 9, 2026, Hamadeh, a Republican from Arizona who sits on the House Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs committees, made a bold prediction: the peace process between the two countries is moving faster than expected, and a final deal could well be signed before President Trump's current term is over. When asked directly whether he expects the agreement to be fully finalized before Trump leaves office, his answer was short and confident: "Oh, absolutely. I think you're going to see it come a lot sooner rather than later."

From "Nobody Saw This Coming" to "Off to the Races"

Hamadeh isn't speaking from the sidelines here. He's visited both countries personally — Azerbaijan in June, Armenia in August — meeting with leaders on both sides. And he likes to frame the progress in terms of just how unlikely this all seemed not that long ago.

"We should look at where we were just one year ago," he said. "One year ago, in August, was when you had both [Armenian Prime Minister Nikol] Pashinian and [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev here at the White House with Trump, something that nobody ever saw coming, especially this quickly... and now we are off to the races."

What's especially charming is how personal Hamadeh's own involvement has been. He described bringing the Armenian and Azerbaijani ambassadors together — separately at first, then together at his brother's house in Arizona, and again at an event for him at Mar-a-Lago. "We have a great relationship," he said, "so we're trying to make sure and ensure that this peace is solidified."

The Real Obstacle? Just Time

Ask Hamadeh what's standing in the way, and his answer is refreshingly human: it's not politics, it's not geography — it's emotional healing. "Any of the obstacles are, to be honest, just time," he explained. "It takes time for emotions to settle down after being in a period of war and for decades of war."

Still, he says, both sides are showing real commitment. "From my experience being over there, both in Baku and Yerevan, it's going very smoothly, and both sides are absolutely committed to ensuring the South Caucasus is peaceful and prosperous."

That said, he was honest that a few practical issues remain on the table — including the question of prisoners that Armenia wants returned from Azerbaijan, and the long-delayed opening of the Armenia-Turkey border, which the two countries agreed to back in 2022 but still haven't implemented.

TRIPP: More Than Just a Road

A big piece of Hamadeh's optimism rests on TRIPP — the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity — a US-backed transport corridor that would run through Armenia and connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave, with talk of rail, road, energy, and even fiber-optic links down the line.

For Hamadeh, TRIPP isn't just an infrastructure project. "TRIPP is much more than just economics," he said. "It's going to solidify them and tie them so much diplomatically, politically, economically." He also pushed back firmly on claims from Russian officials that the project could open the door to US military bases in Armenia, calling those warnings "classic Russian disinformation" aimed at destabilizing a country he describes as "one of the most stable democracies in the region."

A Cause Bigger Than One Presidency

Perhaps the most reassuring part of Hamadeh's outlook is his insistence that this isn't a fleeting, partisan moment. "Washington's role in the South Caucasus should extend beyond the Trump administration," he argued, adding that closer ties with Armenia and Azerbaijan could attract support from both sides of the aisle in Congress. "This is long-term. I don't see this as a partisan issue. This is going to transcend Democrats, Republicans."

He also flagged Armenia-Turkey normalization as another thread quietly reshaping the region's future, one he feels has been "somewhat underestimated recently."

The Takeaway

It's easy to be skeptical about ambitious timelines in international diplomacy — plenty of peace processes have stalled for far less complicated reasons than decades of conflict. But Hamadeh's read on the situation is grounded in firsthand visits, direct relationships with both governments, and a genuinely striking pace of progress over just twelve months.

As he put it himself: only one year has passed since this all began, and "by historical standards that is a very short period." If leaders on both sides keep enjoying strong popularity at home and stay committed to the process, his prediction of a deal landing well before Trump's term ends might not be wishful thinking after all — it might just be where the momentum is genuinely heading.