Iran has dialed up its diplomacy this year, hoping to improve its economy and reduce its isolation. Its president and foreign minister have traveled to Latin America, hosted diplomats from its former foe Saudi Arabia, and attended indirect talks with the U.S. involving its nuclear program.
The efforts have paid off: This weekend, Iran formally joins the Shanghai Cooperative Organization.
"At the meeting of heads of state on July 4, the full membership of Iran will be approved," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday at the opening of an SCO center in Moscow.
"Iran's SCO membership benefits the Iranian system by giving it another diplomatic platform to increase its standing on the international stage," said Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, to VOA's Persian Service via email.
"[It] also fits into Iran's supreme leader's framework of looking east, concentrating on deepening partnerships with Russia and China," he said.
"Iran is trying to advance its security and economic interests by using the capacity of these organizations," said Mohammad Ghaedi, an international relations lecturer at George Washington University, highlighting the emergence of new powers such as China and, consequently, organizations that represent their interests.
By joining the SCO, the Islamic Republic hopes to reduce the impact of U.S. sanctions, replace the West with regional powers, and increase its bargaining power against Turkey and Saudi Arabia, both of which are also seeking to join the Shanghai Alliance, Ghaedi told the Persian Service.
Regarding whether Beijing and Moscow would want to accept Tehran and Riyadh in the SCO, Ghaedi said the alliance would be strengthened demographically, geographically and particularly in terms of energy.
In addition to increasing the power of China and Russia versus the U.S. and Europe, Ghaedi said, if both Iran and Saudi Arabia joined the alliance, that would provide a "platform for the peaceful settlement of disputes" of the two Middle Eastern rivals.
According to Brodsky, "Russia and China would be amenable to Iran and Saudi Arabia joining the SCO to try and foment fissures in the U.S. network of allies and partners around the world."
He added, "Iran solidifies an anti-Western bloc, and including Riyadh in the SCO would be an attempt to decrease Washington's standing and leverage over Saudi Arabia."
Founded in 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a political, economic and defense organization composed of eight members including China, Russia, India and Pakistan. Currently, Iran holds the observer status at this Eurasian alliance.
Iran's next goal is acceptance into another group that excludes Western countries: the BRICS group with Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
