Trump Administration Grants Azerbaijan Weapons Waiver Amid Ongoing Territorial Disputes with Armenia
President Trump waived Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, allowing Azerbaijan to purchase American weapons, which was announced by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on June 1. The waiver was originally designed to restrict U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan due to its historical aggression toward Armenia, though presidents have issued waivers since 2001. The move raises questions about whether the weapons could be used against Armenia given Azerbaijan's continued occupation of Armenian territory despite a Trump-brokered peace agreement.
President Trump issued a waiver to Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, enabling Azerbaijan to purchase American military equipment. This provision was originally enacted by Congress in 1992 to restrict U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan following its military actions against Armenians and the autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh. While presidents have periodically waived the restriction since 2001, the current waiver comes amid ongoing tensions: Azerbaijan launched a military operation into Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, resulting in the displacement of approximately 120,000 Armenians, just days after a State Department official testified that the U.S. would not tolerate Azerbaijani aggression. Trump subsequently brokered a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, inviting both leaders to the White House in August 2025. However, Azerbaijan continues to occupy nearly 100 square miles of undisputed Armenian territory, prompting questions about the purpose of advanced American weaponry in the region.
What's missing
The article does not provide Azerbaijan's stated rationale for the weapons request, official statements from the Trump administration or State Department defending the waiver decision, or details about the specific terms and provisions of the August 2025 peace agreement beyond its existence.
What different sources said
- Washington ExaminerRight
If Trump believes in Azerbaijan-Armenia peace, why does Baku want weapons?
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