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October 15, 2021

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Iran looking to the East to end isolation

Over the past few years, particularly since the US withdrawal in 2018 from the Iran nuclear deal, Iran has suffered from Washington-led sanctions.

Disappointed at the West and seeking to resolve problems at home through diversifying its international partners, the new Iranian administration, ever since taking office in August, has carried out diplomatic activities with a greater focus on “looking to the East.”

In September, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) started admitting Iran as a full member from an observer. Meanwhile, Iran has also redoubled efforts to strengthen its relationship with Russia, an instance of which was a recent visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian to Moscow as head of a delegation.

Speaking to Iran’s official news agency IRNA in late September, Mahmoud Abbaszadeh Meshkini, spokesman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian parliament, said the country’s membership in the SCO will contribute to a shift in the unjust balance dominating international political relations, and help end US-led unilateralism, which has led to Tehran’s isolation. The most important outcome of the SCO membership for Tehran is to minimize the negative consequences of US sanctions and bring about positive economic results for Iran, he said.

Analysts also believed that Iran’s membership in the SCO will bolster the country’s security, trade and banking-sector ties with member countries.




 

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