Iran Seeks Economic and Diplomatic Lifeline at SCO Summit
Amid US sanctions, Iran's foreign minister meets with Chinese and Russian counterparts at the SCO summit. Tehran seeks to deepen economic ties, boost oil exports, and secure greater diplomatic support from the bloc's key powers.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Seeking to bolster economic and diplomatic support amid persistent US sanctions and the aftermath of last month’s conflict with Israel, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is scheduled to meet with his Russian and Chinese counterparts at a key Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China on Tuesday.
The SCO Foreign Ministers Council convened in the northeastern Chinese city of Tianjin, an event Tehran hopes to leverage to deepen its economic and political relationships with the China-led bloc. Araghchi arrived in China on Monday and is slated to hold talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other officials.
“Foreign ministers of SCO member states will exchange views on SCO cooperation in various areas and major international and regional issues, and resolutions and documents will be signed at the meeting,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters.
According to analysis reported by Al-Monitor, Iran’s primary goals are to find relief from sanctions and secure its energy trade. Ryan Bohl, a senior Middle East and North Africa analyst at RANE, told Al-Monitor that Iran will be focused on its economic survival. "The overall Iranian position is to develop deeper and more tangible soft power ties for sanctions relief and energy,” Bohl said, adding that Tehran is “looking for ways that they can facilitate Iranian oil exports to China in a reliable way that can't be upended.”
China is a critical partner for Iran, currently receiving around 90% of the Islamic Republic’s oil shipments. The importance of the bloc is further reflected in trade data, with Iran's trade with SCO member states rising 5.5% to $37.1 billion between March 2023 and January 2024, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.
In addition to economic matters, the meetings carry significant diplomatic weight following the recent suspension of US-Iran nuclear negotiations after the conflict with Israel. According to Al-Monitor, Iran is now hoping for a more robust diplomatic shield from Beijing. Bohl noted that after China’s success in mediating the resumption of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2023, Tehran hopes Beijing will adopt a more protective role. “Iran is waiting on China to develop the mentality that they want to be more interventionist in the region on Iran's behalf,” Bohl said.
A meeting is also confirmed between Araghchi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Russia's Ria Novosti news agency that the two would discuss bilateral relations, regional developments, and the nuclear issue.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a Eurasian political and economic organization founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It later expanded to include India, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus as full members, with numerous other regional powers acting as dialogue partners.
