SCO slams attacks, sanctions on Iran: Key takeaways from Bishkek summit

What the report says

Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ended a two-day summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, with a joint declaration that criticized military attacks on Iran and opposed sanctions the bloc described as unilateral and coercive. Al Jazeera reported that the document, signed by leaders including China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, India’s Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif, framed the strikes on Iran as damaging to civilian life and regional stability, while also calling for a political and diplomatic path forward.

The summit also backed Iran’s rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to pursue peaceful nuclear activity, and the declaration said restrictions on that right are inconsistent with international law. More broadly, the SCO said it wanted to strengthen trade, financial ties and energy cooperation, including work under existing long-term development and energy strategies. That matters because the bloc brings together major regional powers and economies, and its positions can signal coordination on sanctions, energy flows and global governance.

Tensions among members were visible in the discussion of terrorism. Modi urged a united front against extremist financing and safe havens, remarks widely understood as aimed at Pakistan, while Sharif said Pakistan had suffered heavily from terrorism. The declaration said the bloc rejects double standards on the issue and committed members to combating terrorism, separatism and extremism.

Al Jazeera also noted, in background material, that the SCO dates to 1996 and represents a large share of the world’s population and economy.