Iran's president attends SCO summit in Bishkek with Putin, Xi and Modi
Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian is attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, where he met India's PM Modi amid US-Iran tensions.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian is attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, as the guest of honour. He is joined by the leaders of Russia, China and India: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi. The summit is a gathering of a loose alliance of states that, to a greater or lesser extent, tend to push back against the US-led international order.
The SCO has 25 members: 10 permanent members, 15 dialogue partners or associate members, and two observer states. Collectively, the bloc claims to represent 40% of the global population and roughly 25% of global GDP. It also numbers many of the world's largest oil producers and consumers among its members. The organisation is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
The situation between the United States and Iran is likely to be high on the agenda. On the sidelines of the summit, Modi and Pezeshkian have already met. According to Iran's Tasnim news agency, Pezeshkian told Modi that fighting was in no one's interest and that dialogue and cooperation was the best way forward.
Speaking to the BBC, Edward Lemon, a research assistant professor at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, said the SCO is not a military alliance and is not akin to NATO. It is an organisation that coordinates positions on global affairs and security. He described it as a symbol of emerging multipolarity. However, he said concrete outcomes are likely to be limited, with expectations of a statement on the US-Israeli war against Iran and discussion of increased economic cooperation between member states.
The summit is seen as an opportunity for the leaders to make a big statement about the power they wield. Putin was due to arrive at any moment, and the leaders are expected to appear together.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News |
|---|---|
| Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian is due to be guest of honour at the SCO summit in Bishkek. | |
| Pezeshkian told Modi that fighting was in no one's interest and that dialogue and cooperation were the best way forward. | |
| Putin, Xi and Modi are attending the summit. | |
| The SCO is a loose alliance that tends to push back against the US-led international order. | |
| The SCO is not a military alliance. | |
| The SCO represents about 40% of the global population and roughly 25% of global GDP. | |
| The summit is expected to produce a statement on the US-Israeli war against Iran. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This segment frames the summit as a major gathering of non-Western powers that push back against the US-led order. It highlights the bloc's size and economic weight, and presents the event as a chance for Putin, Xi and Modi to make a statement about their collective power. It also connects the summit to global economic pressures, mentioning the Strait of Hormuz.
- “It's a loose alliance of states who to a greater or lesser extent tend to push back against the US-led international order.”
- “a real opportunity for those three leaders to appear and make a very big statement to the rest of the world about the power that they wield as well.”
- “the bloc claims to represent 40% of the global population, roughly 25% of global GDP.”
This segment provides analysis and context, questioning whether the US should be worried about the gathering. It highlights the meeting between Modi and Pezeshkian and the likely focus on US-Iran tensions. It also notes the organisation's 25th anniversary and its symbolic role in multipolarity, while downplaying expectations of concrete outcomes.
- “It's not a military alliance. It's not akin to NATO.”
- “the Shanghai Corporation organisation is very much a symbol of this emerging multipolarity.”
- “we can expect there to be some kind of statement on the US-Israeli war against Iran.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.