Tehran, Iran – Iran has called upon the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to take a strong and coordinated stand against any aggression by Israel in response to regional tensions, hoping to rally support among major Eurasian powers. This request reflects intensifying regional tensions as well as mounting regional hostilities.
Iran’s Ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, made this appeal at the third meeting of SCO industry ministers in Yekaterinburg on July 7. Jalali pointed to recent Israeli actions backed by Western allies which targeted Iranian infrastructure including hospitals, power plants and nuclear research facilities; including hospitals, power plants and nuclear research facilities (sources: english.almayadeen.net +2, en.irna.ir +2 and presstv +2).
Jalali made clear in his speech that these actions constituted not just violations to Iranian sovereignty but a wider assault on international law and multilateralism. According to him, all participating nations now face “a crucial moment to coordinate policies and respond collectively to global challenges”. For Jalali this was “an essential moment.” en.irna.ir
He questioned why Israel, which does not sign key international treaties such as the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty or Chemical Weapons Convention, acts under Western protection and violates global norms by acting against their rules and breaking global norms, whilst disregarding global norms (Wsj.com).
SCO’s Diverged Response
Established in 2001 with original members China, Russia and Central Asian republics as its original members, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation now comprises Iran, India Pakistan and Belarus – and aims to strengthen regional security and economic ties through increasing cooperation. However, although various members condemned Israeli airstrikes on Iran–described by some members as violations of sovereignty–not all nations spoke with one voice against Israeli airstrikes on Iran.
Mid-June saw the Shanghai Cooperation Organization issue a statement denouncing Israeli strikes on Iranian territory as threats to global stability; yet India conspicuously abstained from signing it, emphasizing its broad strategic balancing that emphasizes strong relationships with both Tehran and Tel Aviv (Wsj.com/scmp.com/201506/15 and Aljazeera.com/201506/16).
Jalali believes such varied responses reduce collective bargaining power. To unify his group of nations – specifically China, Russia, Pakistan and Central Asian states- he wants them to publicly denounce what Iran considers Western-backed aggression.
Iran Launches Wider Diplomatic Campaign This appeal follows many parallel Iranian diplomatic initiatives. Iran has launched similar efforts at the UN: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi demanded that its Security Council recognize Israel–and the US–as aggressors, and consider sanctions. For more details see: [1. en.irna.ir], (2.0 wsjcom).
At the recent BRICS summit in Rio, Iran’s agenda found support; they issued a joint statement condemning U.S.-Israel attacks on Iranian soil as well as affirming respect for international law (tehrantimes.com).
Iran has clearly indicated its desire to forge wider alliances in order to bolster its standing within both regional forums like SCO and global alliances like BRICS, UN and similar entities.
Implications for Regional Stability
Should the Shanghai Cooperation Organization members follow Iran’s call for a united stance, it could exacerbate an existing geopolitical divide, specifically between Western-align states and SCO nations. A strong condemnation of Israel from China and Russia would escalate diplomatic friction with Western powers like the US.
However, experts caution that diverging national interests–such as India’s cautious neutrality–may limit the effectiveness of such calls. New Delhi’s move to withdraw support for condemnation statement highlights SCO’s inherent diplomatic tensions.
Iran’s campaign demonstrates a wider strategy: using coordinated multilateral pressure to legitimate its demands while depicting Western powers as outsiders. By raising it at both the SCO and BRICS summits, Tehran seems intent on increasing the international cost of Israeli and Western military actions.
As tensions over the Middle East increase, next week’s developments at SCO and BRICS meetings could provide insight into whether Tehran’s pressure achieves more coordinated Eurasian positions – or whether national interests continue to fragment collective responses.