Armenian and U.S. forces will hold joint military exercises beginning next week, as Yerevan faces mounting tensions with Azerbaijan over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armenia's Defense Ministry said on September 6 that the nine-day exercise would involve "stabilization operations between conflicting parties during peacekeeping tasks." There was no immediate comment from U.S. officials. The drills, being held in Yerevan, are the first of their kind. They come amid an escalating crisis as Yerevan and local authorities accuse Azerbaijan of blockading Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in severe shortages of food, fuel, and basic products. Baku has denied the accusations. Yerevan has accused Russian peacekeepers in the region of failing to do their jobs.
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