Officials Stress SCO’s Role Against Western Overreach, Sanctions

TEHRAN — Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh on Monday described the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit as a significant platform to counteract Western unilateralism and economic domination.
Speaking on the sidelines of the summit in China, Nasirzadeh, who accompanied President Masoud Pezeshkian on his visit to Beijing, emphasized that the world today faces “unilateralism and overreach by the West in security, economic, and political spheres.”
“The SCO and similar alliances like BRICS offer appropriate alternatives to confront this one-sided approach,” Nasirzadeh stated. He underscored the importance of forging new coalitions to enhance cooperation among nations, bolster regional security, and develop economies resilient to sanctions.
“The formation of new economic and security coalitions enables countries to collaborate in securing their regions while developing their economies to withstand sanctions,” he added. “The SCO was established with these objectives and has already yielded positive results.”
The remarks came as President Pezeshkian led a high-level delegation to the SCO and Shanghai Plus summits in Tianjin, China. The delegation included key ministers from defense, economy, and foreign affairs.
Iranian officials stress the strategic

importance of these forums in expanding Iran’s diplomatic and economic ties amid rising global tensions.

Separately, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi highlighted developments related to UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and the contentious “snapback” mechanism pushed by European powers.

Speaking to Iranian media, Gharibabadi confirmed that SCO member states, including permanent Security Council members China, Russia and Pakistan, oppose the unilateral reimposition of sanctions on Iran.

“The SCO’s final declaration contains strong language affirming that Resolution 2231 must be fully and properly implemented and not applied selectively. This means European countries cannot selectively enforce the snapback clause if they fail to meet their own commitments.”

Gharibabadi condemned recent European attempts to activate the snapback process as “illegal and without legal basis,” criticizing international bodies for politically motivated responses.

He urged European countries to reconsider, warning that any move to restore sanctions would provoke a firm response from Iran.

The deputy minister also pointed to a significant SCO declaration explicitly condemning Israeli and U.S. aggression against Iran, including attacks on nuclear facilities and violations of international law, marking a rare direct denunciation of the two countries.

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Officials Stress SCO’s Role Against Western Overreach, Sanctions