Iran’s FM says Tehran unafraid of talks or war, rejects speculation on SCO membership

Speaking late Wednesday upon returning from President Massoud Pezeshkian’s visit to China, he described the trip as a milestone in bilateral relations and dismissed rumors that Iran’s membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) could be revoked. “There is no such provision, and member states expressed their support for Iran,” he said.

Araghchi noted that the Iranian president’s meeting with his Russian counterpart was extended due to the breadth of political and economic issues under discussion.

Addressing speculation over the shorter meeting with China’s president, he explained that such encounters are traditionally brief during multilateral summits with many leaders in attendance.

On European efforts to trigger the “snapback” sanctions mechanism, the minister said Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing had submitted a joint letter to the United Nations and were pursuing further initiatives.

He revealed that Russia and China have already drafted a resolution at the Security Council to counter the move, which Iran is actively consulting on.

Araghchi also confirmed ongoing talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stressing that new circumstances require a new framework for cooperation.