REAL AND TRADE WAR
The Bishkek summit takes place at a time when some SCO members are in the midst of real wars – the Ukraine and Iran conflicts – or trade wars, with the imposition of US tariffs on Chinese and Indian goods.
This month, the US slapped secondary sanctions on Iran’s trading partners in the sectors of gold, technology, digital assets, aviation and maritime transport, aiming to cripple Tehran’s economy.
Washington has also threatened Iran’s allies with sanctions.
China, a major importer of Iranian oil, responded by saying it would “firmly defend” its interests.
Iran, living under sanctions since its 1979 revolution ended with Islamic authorities taking charge, has regularly said it will not cave to economic pressure.
But Pezeshkian has acknowledged his country faces “economic difficulties”.
Iran only joined the bloc in 2023.
Mohammad Hassan Najmi, an international relations expert, told AFP that Tehran “believes its membership and active participation in these alliances can enable it to circumvent US and European sanctions”.
But concrete benefits of the group are uncertain, he said, as “in times of crisis, these alliances have rarely allowed Iran to resolve its difficulties”.
While the bloc claims to represent some 40 per cent of the world’s population and 25 per cent of global GDP, it remains diverse, with disagreements among members.