Conversations on Groong - April 4, 2026

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, Pietro Shakarian joins Hovik and Asbed to examine the Iran war, its impact on Russia, Ukraine, and the wider Eurasian balance, and what it means for Armenia’s security and foreign policy. The discussion also looks at Pashinyan’s strained Moscow visit, the uncertain future of TRIPP, Armenia-Russia tensions, and the fast-forming landscape of Armenia’s June parliamentary elections, including the opposition field, campaign narratives, and the stakes for the country’s political future.

Topics:
- The Iran War and Its Global Impacts
- Armenia-Russia Relations
- Parliamentary Elections in Armenia

Guest: Pietro Shakarian

Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 529 | Recorded: April 3, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/529

#IranIsraelWar #IsraelIranConflict #IsraelConflict #Armenia #MiddleEastCrisis
#ArmeniaElections #PietroShakarian #TRIPP

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Groong Week in Review - March 29, 2026

Our guest Anna Karapetyan focused on the widening Iran war and its possible fallout for Armenia, then turned to the narratives shaping Armenia’s election season. The discussion examined Pashinyan’s claim to have delivered peace, the taboo around speaking about Artsakh and Artsakhtsis’ rights, the uncertainty around the TRIPP corridor project, the political use of fear that an opposition victory would bring war, and the security and environmental questions surrounding a proposed AI data center. In the closing segment, the participants reflected on the broader propaganda environment in Armenia and on Formula 1’s continued partnership with authoritarian states such as Azerbaijan.

Topics

• Iran war escalation and spillover
• Pashinyan’s Fake “peace” narratives
• Elections built on fear-mongering
• Silencing talk of Artsakh

Guest

• Anna Karapetyan

Hosts

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 528 | Recorded: March 30, 2026

https://podcasts.groong.org/528

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Groong Week in Review - March 22, 2026

This Week in Review featured Asbed and Hovik without a guest. We discussed the death of Georgian Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II and the Armenian government’s blocking of Catholicos of all Armenians Karekin II from attending the funeral; the latest turn in the Iran war and what it could mean for Armenia and the wider region; Israel’s renewed ground operation in southern Lebanon; and Armenia’s June elections, including political prisoners, media freedom, Civil Contract’s campaign tactics, the opposition field, EU involvement, and Strong Armenia’s messaging on TRIPP and security.

Topics

• Karekin II travel-banned from attending Catholicos Ilia II Funeral
• Iran War update
• Armenian June Elections

Hosts

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 527 | Recorded: March 23, 2026

https://podcasts.groong.org/527

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Conversations on Groong - March 22, 2026

South Korean travel blogger YoungMin visited Artsakh after Azerbaijan's 2023 ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh, becoming one of the few independent foreign visitors to document conditions on the ground after more than 100,000 Armenians were forced from their ancestral homeland. In this episode, YoungMin discusses what motivated his trip, what he saw in Stepanakert, Askeran, Agdam, and the surrounding areas, how Azerbaijani state narratives try to frame post-war tourism, and what the empty towns, damaged infrastructure, and erased Armenian presence reveal about the aftermath of the 44-Day War and the destruction of Artsakh.

Topics:
- YoungMin’s journey into post-2023 Artsakh
- Controlled access, guided narratives
- Erasing traces of Armenians
- In Agdam, Askeran, and Stepanakert
- Memory, loss, and the aftermath of ethnic cleansing

Guest: YoungMin

Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 526 | Recorded: March 21, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/526

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/j9QYiYFnj68

#artsakh #Armenia #YoungMin #NagornoKarabakh #EthnicCleansing

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Conversations on Groong - March 22, 2026

Topics:

• Iran at War
• The Northern Front: Turkey & Azerbaijan
• Changing Nakhijevan's Constitution

Guest: Eldar Mamedov

Hosts:

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 525 | Recorded: March 20, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/525

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/pWd_-iNIM8E

#GroongPodcast #EldarMamedov #IranWar #Azerbaijan #SouthCaucasus

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Conversations on Groong - March 20, 2026

Topics:

• Iran at War
• The Northern Front: Turkey & Azerbaijan
• Changing Nakhijevan’s Constitution

Guest: Varuzhan Geghamyan

Hosts:

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 524 | Recorded: March 19, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/524

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/SQHD3lZxAwc

#IranWar #VaruzhanGeghamyan #ZangezurCorridor #Syunik #ArmeniaGeopolitics

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Conversations on Groong - March 20, 2026

Topics
- Why this war began
- U.S. fallout and political costs
- Paths to wider regional escalation

Guest: Scott Horton

Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 523 | Recorded: March 20, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/523

#IranWar #ScottHorton #USIsrael #MiddleEastWar #Geopolitics

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Groong Week in Review - March 15, 2026

Arthur Martirosyan examines the ongoing U.S.–Israel war on Iran and its uncertain trajectory, focusing on escalation risks, strategic objectives, and potential diplomatic offramps. The discussion then turns to regional spillover effects, particularly the risks for Armenia amid Iran–Azerbaijan tensions and broader geopolitical shifts. We conclude with an analysis of Armenia’s upcoming parliamentary elections, including the fragmented opposition landscape, concerns about electoral fairness, and contradictions in public opinion reflected in recent polling.

Topics

• Iran War
• Effect on Armenia
• June Parliamentary Elections

Guest

• Arthur G Martirosyan

Hosts

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 522 | Recorded: March 16, 2026

https://podcasts.groong.org/522

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