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Zhao Ziwen

Vanessa Cai

As the US considers taking military action over a crackdown on unrest in Iran, there has been no official response from either the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or Brics.
Iran is a member of the two Beijing-backed forums for the Global South, and analysts said remaining silent on the situation could be damaging for them.
But according to one expert, the Iran crisis could also lead to an expansion of security and strategic cooperation within the two blocs.
US President Donald Trump has threatened a strong response if Iranian authorities begin executing anti-government protesters this week.
“If they do such a thing, we will take very strong action,” Trump told CBS News in an interview broadcast on Tuesday night.
Trump had earlier expressed support for the protesters in a post on social media, and said he was weighing up military and other options.


A Shanghai-based expert on international relations who requested anonymity said the lack of response from the SCO and Brics could negatively affect their image.
“Even though the SCO and Brics do not have binding obligations, they do have the functions of policy coordination and mutual support. So if these are not brought into play it will undermine their image and the effectiveness of their cooperation,” the academic said.
“And if Iran were to undergo some even more drastic change, the impact would certainly be greater.”
The SCO was set up in 2001 to tackle instability in Central Asia following the Soviet collapse and has since become a key platform for the Global South. It has rapidly expanded since the late 2010s in tandem with Beijing’s global leadership ambitions.
Brics, meanwhile, was established in 2009 and has expanded to a bloc of emerging economies from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
Neither the SCO or Brics are seen as forums to resolve conflicts, even among their own members. For example, there were no bilateral meetings held last year at either the SCO defence ministers’ summit in Qingdao, or when SCO leaders gathered in Tianjin.
However, when the US carried out air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June, the SCO released a statement condemning the attacks and called for a de-escalation. The SCO said the attacks were “a gross violation of the norms and principles of international law” and called for “settlement through political and diplomatic means”.
As chair of Brics this year, India is also in a difficult position, since it has strategic interests with both Iran and the US. New Delhi’s ties with Washington are already strained over Indian imports of oil from Russia.
The Shanghai-based academic said the situation in Iran was “impossible to mediate”.
“The current issue with Iran exists on two levels. The core problem remains the Iranian people’s anger towards the authorities. The second level is the involvement of the US and Israel, which are not direct parties so far but rather indirect participants,” he said.
“It isn’t a typical international conflict – the main parties are not clearly defined, so there is no way to mediate it.”


But Yan Wei, deputy director of the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies at China’s Northwest University, said the situation in Iran could also be an opportunity for the SCO and Brics.
He said there was now a series of questions around global governance.
“So how to provide more effective security and governance for the Global South is something that we need to discuss,” Yan said.
He pointed to the SCO, led by China and Russia, that started with a strong anti-terrorism and security agenda.
“Growing attacks since last year – from Israel’s 12-day war with Iran to air strikes between India and Pakistan, to today’s Venezuela and Iran threats – have all posed challenges to the bloc,” Yan said.
“But as a regional bloc that has been expanding, we could see clear development and progress [in resolving such issues].”
Wen Shaobiao, a Middle East specialist at Shanghai International Studies University, said US actions could push members of the two blocs to try to act as peacekeepers.
“The perceived threat of US unilateralism and hegemonic overreach is likely to prompt a profound upgrade in Global South cooperation,” Wen said.
“This evolution may extend far beyond institutional reforms and supply chain diversification, and could even see some deeper security alignments.”


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A lack of response from the SCO and Brics could have a negative impact on the groups – but the crisis could also bring them closer


A lack of response from the SCO and Brics could have a negative impact on the groups – but the crisis could also bring them closer.


Could the Iran crisis push Global South blocs to deepen security ties?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}A lack of response from the SCO and Brics could have a negative impact on the groups – but the crisis could also bring them closer

A lack of response from the SCO and Brics could have a negative impact on the groups – but the crisis could also bring them closer