The US has radically changed the rules of the game in the Middle East and the Caucasus. Instead of lecturing on democracy, Washington has opted for hard pragmatism: Azerbaijan has been granted "contractor" status and carte blanche over its domestic policy, while neutral Turkmenistan has opened its skies to American military aircraft. Analyst Tigran Avakyan told the publication "Khvilya" this, commenting on the new US strategy to encircle Iran, according to Hronikatm.com.
"American military transport planes have begun landing in Turkmenistan, at the airports of Mary and Ashgabat... Turkmenistan! A country that was closed... And then suddenly—American military logistics," he said.
This, according to the expert, means the complete encirclement of Iran, which is losing its last secure border.
"This is Iran's northeastern border. This is the rear that has always been quiet for them. "If the Americans gain a foothold in Turkmenistan, then Iran will find itself in a complete, hermetically sealed encirclement," Avakyan explained.
When asked why the US is implementing this plan now, Avakyan explained it as financial logic and preparation for decisive pressure on Tehran.
The US's ultimate goal, according to Avakyan, is to force the ayatollah regime into a dilemma: "The US is creating a situation where Iran will either have to surrender or implode from within."
CentralasianLIGHT.org
February 13, 2026