At SCO summit in China, Iran seeks support ahead of UN sanctions
China's SCO will bring together major world leaders, including China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian, as Tehran seeks support amid mounting Western pressure.
China is set to host the 25th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization this weekend, as Iran looks to rally support as the 30-day countdown begins before the expected return of UN sanctions.
What is the SCO?
Founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the SCO was conceived as a Eurasian security bloc but has since evolved into a forum that straddles security, economic and political cooperation. Over the past two decades, its membership has expanded to include India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus, with Tehran becoming a full member in 2023.
In addition to its 10 members, the SCO also includes 14 “dialogue partners,” some of which are Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Azerbaijan.
