NOURNEWS: Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, has traveled to Kyrgyzstan. Beyond expanding bilateral relations and strengthening regional cooperation, the visit carries broader strategic significance, including his participation in and address to the SCO summit and meetings with senior officials from participating countries.

Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Iran and Pakistan are currently full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, while Mongolia, Afghanistan and Belarus hold observer status. This year’s summit, however, is taking place at a different juncture. Twenty-five years after the organization was established, the SCO is approaching a new phase in its development—one that could be marked by new initiatives and a redefinition of its role in global affairs. The summit’s theme, “25 Years of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization: Together for Peace, Development and Sustainable Prosperity,” reflects this emerging outlook.

A Containment Strategy That Failed Before It Began

The Shanghai summit also carries a clear message from another perspective: U.S. claims that Iran can be “crushed,” particularly through economic pressure, remain far removed from realities on the ground.

In recent days, U.S. officials, from President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Treasury Secretary, have emphasized intensified pressure and an economic blockade against Iran. According to its architects, the objective is to weaken Iran’s economy, trigger an internal crisis and force Tehran to accept demands including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, limiting its nuclear and defense capabilities, and scaling back its regional role.

Yet Iran’s presence at the heart of one of the most important non-Western multilateral frameworks at precisely this moment demonstrates that Tehran has not only avoided isolation, but has also expanded its range of options. Extensive land borders, membership in the SCO, BRICS and the Eurasian structures, and growing ties with major economies provide Iran with multiple tools to withstand pressure and containment. By contrast, the United States faces more limited options amid its own energy challenges, while the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the key variables in the equation.

The SCO: A New Map for the Global Economy

The composition of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is more than a political list; it represents a significant share of the world’s population, territory, resources, markets and economic potential. The overlap between the SCO’s membership and BRICS and regional economic structures points to the emergence of a network that could play a decisive role in shaping the future architecture of the international economy.

From this perspective, Iran’s presence in the SCO is not merely participation in a diplomatic summit; it is a sign that the playing field is changing. The world is no longer necessarily defined solely within a dollar-based economic order shaped by U.S. power, while alternative options—from regional cooperation to multilateral agreements—are expanding.

Iran’s Diplomacy: From Washington’s Orbit to the Orbit of National Interests

Iran’s ability to withstand external pressure has been shaped by the combined effect of the battlefield, society and diplomacy. Gains on the ground have strengthened Iran’s diplomatic position, while diplomacy has helped project the country’s power and deterrence capabilities into the international arena.

This path, however, is neither linear nor predictable. Guided by the principles of dignity, wisdom and prudence, Tehran adjusts its diplomatic and operational approaches according to circumstances. One possible U.S. miscalculation may have been the assumption that Iran’s behavior would be defined solely by the Islamabad understanding, and that the involvement of Pakistani, Omani and Qatari mediators could lead to a change in Tehran’s conduct on either the battlefield or the diplomatic front.

Iran, however, has explicitly stressed that its decisions will not be dictated by calculations in Washington, but will instead be based on its strategy, interests and national security. In this context, following the U.S. aggression against Larak, Iran’s armed forces responded by targeting U.S. bases in Jordan and the UAE, sending a clear message: the battlefield equation—from the Strait of Hormuz to responses to threats—is being redefined in Tehran and on the basis of Iran’s interests.

Diplomatically, while Tehran considers a return by the United States to its Islamabad commitments a condition for negotiations, Iranian diplomacy no longer revolves solely around Washington. Pezeshkian’s address at the SCO summit and his bilateral meetings with officials from participating countries signal a shift toward new diplomatic orbits.

The SCO at 25: A Major Test for an Emerging Power

The 25th anniversary of the SCO can be viewed as the end of one era and the beginning of another—a period in which the organization has moved beyond its initial tests and reached a greater degree of institutional maturity.

Although the founders of the SCO emphasized avoiding direct involvement in military and political conflicts, the organization’s performance has shown that strategic principles such as supporting member states, playing a role in global affairs, cooperating in energy and technology, moving toward a multilateral order, and defending international law are increasingly becoming elements of its institutional identity.

Iran could now represent the most important test of this new phase. Drawing on its military capabilities, indigenous capacities, social resilience and active diplomacy, Tehran has presented a different model of resistance to pressure from major powers. Iran’s management of the Strait of Hormuz, in this context, is not merely a regional issue; it is part of a broader contest over the future of the security and economic order in West Asia and, potentially, the global energy market.

The SCO therefore faces a historic opportunity: practical convergence with Iran, ranging from condemning aggression and demanding accountability from those responsible to establishing joint mechanisms for countering economic pressure and leveraging Iran’s geopolitical position and capabilities.

The organization’s ability to successfully navigate this test will determine not only its standing among its members, but also its credibility as an influential actor in shaping the future architecture of the multilateral order.