Tehran on April 16 warned that imposing sanctions on any member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) would be viewed as an act threatening the entire bloc, according to an official statement from Iran.
Speaking at the SCO forum in Astana, Kazakhstan, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed: “Any sanctions targeting an SCO member are an infringement on the common interests and collective security of the whole bloc. We regard this as a serious threat that requires a unified response.”
The Iranian official also called on member states to strengthen consultation mechanisms and coordinate actions to mitigate the negative impact of unilateral sanctions, while promoting economic, energy, and transport cooperation within the SCO framework.
The SCO currently has nine full members: China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran—which joined the bloc in 2023. Tehran’s statement comes as several SCO members, especially Iran and Russia, face Western sanctions pressure.
Analysts suggest that Iran’s diplomatic move aims to foster intra-bloc unity, turning the SCO into a forum with a common voice against unilateral embargoes, thereby bolstering Tehran’s negotiating position on the international stage.
