SCO Leaders Unite Against US-Israel Military Action on Iran

VoS NEWS DESK | DIPLOMATIC DEVELOPMENTS

The SCO’s Bishkek Declaration expressed serious concern over military strikes on Iran, saying they had resulted in civilian casualties and significant economic damage. Member states reaffirmed Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while stressing that the conflict should be addressed through diplomacy rather than further military escalation.

The statement was particularly significant because it brought together countries with very different relationships with Washington. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were among the leaders participating in the summit alongside Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The SCO currently includes 10 member states, making its collective diplomatic position an important signal in the wider geopolitical landscape.

The organisation also reaffirmed Iran’s right to develop and use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. SCO members opposed measures that would prevent countries from exercising what they described as their legitimate rights to peaceful nuclear research and energy cooperation.

Beyond the immediate Iran crisis, the summit highlighted growing concern over the wider economic consequences of the conflict. Disruption around the Middle East’s major energy routes has already placed pressure on international trade, energy markets and global supply chains. The SCO therefore called for greater cooperation in energy, trade and financial affairs among its members.

India and Pakistan also used the summit to present their respective positions on terrorism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called terrorism a serious challenge to humanity and criticised what he described as double standards, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed Pakistan’s own losses in combating terrorism. Despite their differences, both countries remained part of the broader SCO declaration calling for stronger regional security cooperation.

VoS STRATEGIC INSIGHT

The SCO’s position represents an important diplomatic challenge to the Western approach towards Iran. Although the declaration stopped short of directly naming the United States and Israel, its condemnation of military action against Iranian territory clearly demonstrates that China, Russia and other members are unwilling to accept military escalation as the sole route to resolving the crisis.

However, the diplomatic statement does not automatically translate into collective military or economic action. Analysts note that organisations such as the SCO can provide political backing and alternative diplomatic platforms, but they do not operate as a NATO-style collective defence alliance.

For Iran, the declaration nevertheless provides valuable international support at a time when Tehran is facing military pressure, sanctions and growing economic disruption. For China and Russia, the crisis also offers an opportunity to reinforce a broader argument for a more multipolar international system in which major security decisions are not dominated by Washington.

The Bishkek summit has therefore turned the Iran conflict into a wider diplomatic contest, with the SCO calling for negotiations and de-escalation while warning that continued military action could deepen instability across the region and beyond.

Source: Al Jazeera, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, South China Morning Post / VoS News Desk.