SCO Summit Opens in Kyrgyzstan as Iran Crisis Strains Unity

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) gathered in Kyrgyzstan on Thursday for a summit that tests the bloc’s ability to manage a widening Middle East crisis. The meeting comes as Iran, a full member since 2023, faces renewed international pressure. The SCO, a political and security alliance led by China and Russia, includes India, Pakistan, and several Central Asian states. Its stated goals are to combat extremism and promote regional stability. This year’s talks focus on Afghanistan’s security vacuum and the fallout from the Iran-Israel conflict. Diplomats say Tehran wants the group to issue a joint statement condemning recent Israeli strikes. However, India and other members are resisting such language, fearing it would alienate Western partners. “The SCO is not a military alliance, and it cannot act as one,” said one delegate, speaking on condition of anonymity. “But silence here is also a statement.” Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov opened the session by calling for “pragmatic cooperation” over political posturing. Chinese President Xi Jinping, attending remotely, urged members to “oppose external interference” in regional affairs. Analysts note that the SCO’s expansion has made decision-making slower. With Iran now inside the tent, the group’s traditional focus on Central Asia is shifting toward the Middle East—a region where its members rarely agree. The summit is expected to end Friday with a general declaration, but without a specific resolution on Iran. That outcome, observers say, will reveal the limits of the bloc’s influence on a world stage increasingly split by crisis.