SCO Unanimously Condemns US-Israel Strikes on Iran, India Joins

At the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, member states strongly condemned the June military strikes by the U.S. and Israel on Iran, calling the attacks violations of international law and Iran's sovereignty. The statement highlighted the targeting of civilian and nuclear infrastructure, which led to civilian casualties, and emphasized the need for permanent protection of nuclear facilities to ensure regional and global security. India, which had previously distanced itself from condemning Israel's actions in Iran, aligned itself with the SCO's collective stance in the latest Tianjin Declaration. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian proposed an initiative to bolster economic cooperation among SCO members by reducing dependency on the U.S. dollar and utilizing central bank digital currencies to counter Western sanctions. The SCO leaders also condemned unilateral coercive measures like economic sanctions, reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful diplomatic dispute resolution under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, and criticized attempts to revive extremist ideologies. The summit underscored a shared resolve among SCO countries to pivot toward multipolarity and enhance cooperation amid rising tensions with Western powers under President Donald Trump's administration.