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The Hill
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
After US strikes, Iran is seeking closer ties to Europe's pariah states
In the wake of U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites, Iran has used the uneasy ceasefire with Israel as a strategic pause, as the regime seeks to re-arm, re-organize and crack down on dissent. As has been noted, Tehran is also working to enhance its diplomatic position, by attempting to exploit disunity among Western policymakers, court Chinese support and undermine the International Atomic Energy Agency. One element of this post-war strategy that has received less attention is Iran's push to strengthen ties and seek stronger commitments from Belarus and Serbia, its key European allies. Since the full scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, Iran has increasingly sought to integrate into the Russia-led multi-pariah order, viewing relationships with similarly isolated regimes as a means of relieving diplomatic and economic pressures. However, Russia's lack of overt support for Iran in its conflict with Israel has led some to speculate that the two regimes may be having a falling-out. This apparent rift offers the likely motivation behind Iran's recent effort to shore up relations with other pariah regimes, both to ensure that this pattern does not repeat and to compensate for shortcomings in its partnership with Russia. Such actions are necessary for the Islamic Republic, should the regime seek to resume direct hostilities with the U.S. and Israel as part of a more protracted war. Belarus has long sought closer ties with Iran, but these efforts largely stalled until shared support for Russia's war in Ukraine provided a vehicle for strategic alignment. When Israel and Iran began exchanging strikes, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's regime largely parroted Moscow's ambiguous response. However, in the wake of the ceasefire, Tehran leaned on Minsk to take a stronger stance. That same week, the regimes' defense ministries held high-level talks in China on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, which led Belarus to confirm its desire for enhanced diplomatic and military cooperation. To facilitate this process, Iran opened a permanent military attaché office within its Minsk embassy complex. Having previously offered arms and nuclear expertise to Iran, Belarus could be in a position to help the Islamic Republic regain its footing ahead of resumed conflict. Lukashenko has also since moved to clarify his regime's position, by decrying Israeli and U.S. actions and lauding 'Iranian resistance.' This offers much-needed explicit European support for the Islamic Republic, which has seen its network of regional proxies and allies crumble in recent months. Moreover, Belarus has begun lobbying for closer integration between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union, which could offer a critical lifeline for the regime's flagging economy. Meanwhile, Iran has turned to Serbia as another economic gateway, exploiting the Balkan state's strained ties with the European Union and its perceived drift into Russia's orbit. In the last several months, Tehran has secured a set of bilateral commercial agreements with Belgrade. As Serbia resists aligning with EU sanctions policies, Tehran may also use these agreements as a circumvention tool, funneling sanctioned goods and funds through Balkan networks. Nevertheless, Aleksandar Vucic's government historically resisted Tehran's requests for closer security ties, based largely on Serbia's role as a major arms supplier to Israel. This dynamic has started to shift following U.S. strikes, however. Islamic Republic-aligned media amplified supposed solidarity among Serbian activists and nationalist politicians for Iran, and published warnings from the regime that Israel's suppliers would be treated as adversaries. Vucic has responded to Iranian pressure by condemning U.S. strikes and suspending arms sales to Israel. This potential pivot could open the door to closer diplomatic, commercial and military relations with Iran. Given Serbia's continued aim to expand its arms exports, the Islamic Republic could eventually offer an appealing market, especially if Vucic drifts further from the European Union. Serbian arms dealers could use black market transactions to facilitate this process, as has occurred historically. It remains to be seen whether the Islamic Republic will secure further tangible concessions from Serbia and Belarus. These partnerships have clear logistical and strategic limitations, much like Tehran's relationship with Moscow. Nevertheless, Iran's growing ties with Europe's pariah states pose a challenge to U.S. and European interests. For Washington, these overtures threaten to erode the efficacy of sanctions enforcement, particularly if Iran succeeds in establishing new financial pathways through Serbia or deepens integration with the Eurasian Economic Union with support from Belarus. As the Trump administration resumes talks with Iran, such moves could reduce the economic pressure underpinning efforts to constrain the regime's nuclear ambitions. Ultimately, this may prompt Washington to seek additional leverage — namely by urging Brussels to adopt a tougher line on Serbia and Belarus, or threatening to scrap the Serbian government's sanctions waivers. For Europe, the challenge is no less acute. Serbia's relationship remains frustrated with Brussels, a closer relationship with Tehran could heighten security risks in the Balkans, where unresolved political tensions, Russian influence and porous borders already pose issues for the European Union. Iran's presence in this environment could offer illicit access to European markets, technologies and financial systems, while potentially facilitating terror-crime links. The Islamic Republic and its proxies have already exploited such factors to commit acts of terror in Southeastern Europe, including a deadly 2012 bombing in Bulgaria. Furthermore, deepening military ties between Belarus and Iran would intensify existing concerns for European security, particularly regarding the war in Ukraine. Taken together, Iran's coordinated outreach to these regimes reflects a deliberate effort in the post-war environment to secure commitments from its partners for diplomatic, economic and security assistance, without relying upon Russia as a mediator. As Iran adapts to a new phase of confrontation with the West, its relationship with Europe's pariahs could become a more durable feature of the regime's strategic posture. This could complicate efforts to establish deterrence, pose a security threat and bolster the Islamic Republic's resilience amid sustained isolation. Jack Roush is a Ph.D. candidate affiliated with the London School of Economics Iranian History Initiative.
Egypt Independent
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Iran's defense minister thanks China for support on first foreign trip since Israel conflict
Hong Kong CNN — Iran's defense minister has traveled to diplomatic and economic ally China on his first reported trip abroad since a 12-day clash with Israel that briefly dragged the US into a new regional conflict. Aziz Nasirzadeh is one of nine defense ministers that Chinese state media say attended a gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a China- and Russia-led regional security grouping that has grown in prominence as Beijing and Moscow look to build alternative international blocs to those backed by the United States. The two-day gathering began Wednesday in the Chinese coastal city of Qingdao, a day after a ceasefire between Iran and Israel quelled what had been days of aerial assaults between the two, punctuated by a US strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities. The SCO gathering coincided with a meeting of NATO leaders at The Hague, where US President Donald Trump said the US would meet with Iran 'next week' about a potential nuclear agreement. Beijing's gathering, part of events for its rotating SCO chairmanship, spotlighted China's role as a key international player, even as it remained largely on the sidelines of the Israel-Iran conflict – and the importance Tehran places on its relationship with Beijing. Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun did not directly address the conflict in remarks to gathering nations Wednesday, as reported by Chinese state media, but aimed to position China as a country with an alternative vision for global security. 'Unilateralism and protectionism are surging, while hegemonic, high-handed, and bullying acts severely undermine the international order, making these practices the biggest sources of chaos and harm,' Dong said, employing language typically used by Beijing to criticize the US. The Chinese defense chief called for SCO countries – which, in addition to China and Russia, include India, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus – to enhance coordination and 'defend international fairness and justice' and 'uphold global strategic stability.' Attending countries 'expressed a strong willingness to consolidate and develop military collaboration,' according to China's official news agency Xinhua. Iran's Nasirzadeh 'expressed gratitude to China for its understanding and support of Iran's legitimate stance,' Xinhua also reported. The minister 'hopes that China will continue to uphold justice and play an even greater role in maintaining the current ceasefire and easing regional tensions,' he was quoted as saying. Defense ministers including China's Dong Jun (second from right) gather for a group photo during the SCO defense minister's meeting on Wednesday. Pedro Pardo/AFP/Getty Images Chinese officials have condemned Israel's unprecedented June 13 attack on Iran, which took out top military leaders and sparked the recent conflict, as well as the subsequent US bombing. It's also backed a ceasefire and criticized Washington's foray into the conflict as a 'heavy blow to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.' A key diplomatic and economic backer of Iran, Beijing has moved to further deepen collaboration in recent years, including holding joint naval drills. Chinese officials have long voiced opposition to US sanctions on Iran and criticized the US withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. China remains by far Iran's largest energy buyer, though it has not reported purchases of Iranian oil in its official customs data since 2022, according to analysts. Chinese-made chemicals needed to produce missile fuel have been delivered to Iran in recent months, CNN reporting shows. In recent days, China has appeared unwilling to become further entangled in the conflict past its diplomatic efforts, analysts say, instead using the situation as another opportunity to paint itself as a responsible global player and the US as a force for instability. When asked at a regular Chinese Defense Ministry press briefing Thursday whether Beijing would consider providing material military support to Iran as an SCO member, ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang told CNN that 'China is willing to work with all parties to play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East.' Founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to combat terrorism and promote border security, the SCO has grown in recent years in line with Beijing and Moscow's shared ambition to push back against a US alliance system they see as suppressing them. While not an alliance, the group says it aims to 'make joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region.' The SCO has long been seen as limited, however, by overlapping interests and frictions between members, including Pakistan and India, which earlier this year engaged in a violent conflict, as well as China and India, which have longstanding border tensions. The meet in Qingdao did not adopt a joint statement due to lack of consensus on referring to 'terrorism,' Reuters reported India's foreign ministry spokesman as saying. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also attended the Qingdao meeting, the first visit from an Indian defense chief to China since a deadly 2020 border clash between the two countries. CNN's Steven Jiang in Beijing and New Delhi bureau contributed to this report.
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First Post
04-07-2025
- Business
- First Post
Brics bigger than G7: Expansion boosts global clout but Trump, China pose challenge
Brics has expanded from initial four to eleven members and has sought a greater say in the world's affairs in recent years, but the group has faced a challenge to its relevance from US President Donald Trump's direct threats and attempts by China to turn the group into an anti-West bloc to take on the United States. read more Over the past two decades, Brics has evolved from a forum of four emerging economies to a group of 11 nations that its supporters say is ushering true multilateralism in the world. Critics, however, say that the bloc is just a Chinese tool to unseat the United States to become the world's foremost superpower. The idea of Brics emerged in 2001 when then-Goldman Sachs Chief Economist Jim O'Neill argued that Brazil, Russia, India, and China had the potential to reshape the global economic landscape by 2050 due to their large populations, rapid economic growth, rising global influence, and rapid upward social mobility. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In 2006, the four countries came together to form Bric — South Africa joined in 2010. With the expansion in 2024, the group has 11 members. Brics has positioned itself as a non-Western alternative for supporting economic growth and cooperation. Even though the group's influence has risen, challenges have also risen and the group now finds itself as a critical juncture. Brics is bigger than G7 but faces tough challenges In 2015, Brics launched New Development Bank (NDB) to fund infrastructure and development projects in developing countries. With initiatives like the NDB and the Russia-led grain exchange, and collaboration in other areas of emerging technologies and economies, Brics has positioned itself as an alternative to Western-dominated financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. But, even as Brics continues to attract new members, the group is far from replacing IMF or World Bank and stares at formidable challenges — both internally and externally. Internally, the very purpose of Brics is under question as China has sought to become the leader of the group and turn it into an anti-Western bloc. Russia has supported China to the hilt in this quest. The two countries are already part of an anti-Western alliance also comprising Iran and North Korea (the so-called CRINK bloc) and want to make Brics an extension of that bloc — while the CRINK bloc clashes with the West militarily, Brics takes on the West economically. Externally, Brics has faced strong opposition from US President Donald Trump, who has dubbed any move by the group to dethrone the US Dollar as a red line. He has threatened Brics members with 100 per cent tariffs if they move towards a Brics currency or dedollarisation. With such challenges that put the very basis of the group in question, Brics stands as a unique blend of opportunities, aspirations, and challenges, and India as a founding member and a competitor of China has its own share of challenges. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A non-Western group or an anti-Western group? India has gone to great lengths to explain to the West that Brics is not an anti-Western group and that it supplements Western institutions like the IMF and World Bank and does not seek to replace them. But China and Russia continue to push the group as an anti-Western bloc. Brics is definitely a China-dominated group as China is the largest economy and contributes to 40 per cent of the bloc's gross domestic product. Moreover, NBD is headquartered in Shanghai even as five initial members —Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa— are equal shareholders of the bank. The presence of ironclad partners Russia and China (and Iran as well) in Brics further adds to the anti-Western impression of the bloc. However, India's presence in the group and, more importantly, its status as a founding member counterbalances the China-Russia influence. India has so far prevented the bloc from turning into an anti-Western bloc. In March, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar dismissed fears of Brics trying to replace the US Dollar. Instead, India considers the strength of the US Dollar essential for global stability, said Jaishankar. 'I don't think there's any policy on our part to replace the dollar. As I said, at the end of the day, the dollar as the reserve currency is the source of international economic stability. And right now, what we want in the world is more economic stability, not less,' said Jaishankar. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India has also used its status as an equal shareholder at NDB to prevent the bank from turning into an extension of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). As China is not just working to dethrone the United States, but is also looking forward to suppress India's rise, India's continued presence and assertion of its role as a founding member in Brics is a must. Anushka Saxena, a China researcher at the Takshashila Institution, previously told Firstpost that India's involvement in Brics and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a must to ensure these institutions work for stated purposes and not become China's tools. 'In Brics, India's priorities lie in making sure that principled guidelines are laid out to set benchmarks for membership, in creating space for consensus-building against the possibility of China's influence-peddling, and in attempting to retain the image and brand value of Brics as a community of developing market economies demanding more voice in global governance,' she said Saxena. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Similarly, in the SCO, India's role as a disruptor is vital. If China and Russia continue to propagate the idea that these groupings are anti-West, India's presence becomes necessary to maintain the balance and act as a bridge with the West,' Saxena further said.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
That's ‘N'-tertainment
Rupa Sengupta is consulting editor with the edit page of Times of India. …when 'F'-bombers can't get peace at any prize A Nobel gesture: Pak's army chief recently backed Trump as peace prize candidate, for supposedly preventing Indo-Pak 'nuclear war'. Little did he know the Dove would strike Iran (which doesn't – yet – have nukes) to assist Israel (which doesn't admit it does). Post-strike, Putin's pal Medvedev denied (Toma)hawk Trump deserved even a 'rigged' Nobel. Little did he know Trump would detonate an 'F'-plosive, forcing Israel-Iran's ceasefire. During Israel-Iran's 12-day conflict, Moscow fanned nuclear fallout fears. Presumably West Asia won't be geopolitically radioactive if some – Russia-led? – countries readily 'supply' Iran with 'warheads', as Medvedev explosively claimed. What about global alarm when Russia endangers Ukraine's nuclear power plants or threatens nuclear strikes? Well, Ukraine's paying for trusting post-Soviet and pre-(and-post-)Trump security guarantors more than the nukes it renounced, see? Medvedev's 'N-word' provoked a seeming WT'F'#@!! from Trump, who'd just prevented future WWIII by bunker-busting Iran's go-nuclear plans. Never mind that, apparently vexed by Ukraine and Gaza, Trump's likened armed conflict – which invariably involves nuclear bluster – to 'hockey' matches. Only, if you can't referee them, (midnight) hammer them. Netanyahu normalising wargames meantime, China could now shoot for Taiwan, South China Sea, disputed borders, even world domination. And Kim Jong-un could target the Korean peninsula and beyond, daring regime changers by trial-running his war toys. Ranging from Seoul-shattering Shahed-series kamikaze drones – their blueprints reportedly sent from Russia, with love – to Hwasong missiles that could reach Mar-a-Lago. BTW, did Kim's military parades inspire Trump's recent $45mn extravagant-za? And didn't Trump praise US's 'lethal' 'N'-subs while bashing Medvedev's 'casual' 'N'-talk? Answer: Trump and other Bibi-sitters uphold 'peace through strength'. Practised as might-is-right, nuclear-haves bully nuclear have-nots. Which makes would-be dual-users desperate to sneak into Nukesville. Unlike Trump-wooed Saudi Arabia which openly says it'll nuclearise if Iran does – and experts say stealth-bombed Iran now stealthily will. There's no peace prize for guessing why one YUGE peacetime perk is war's windfalls. SIPRI's Yearbook 2025 says global military spending surpassed $2.7tn in 2024. Arms revenues of 100 biggest weapons-making and military services firms hit $632bn in 2023. And – manna for ICBM-lobbyists – another nuclear arms race looms. That too, when no 'great power' seems (even hopelessly) devoted to 'D' for disarmament, a stronger 'N'-deterrent than the 'F'-bomb. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Shafaq News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
CSTO condemns US-Israeli strikes on Iran: Unacceptable escalation
Shafaq News – Cholpon-Ata/Tehran On Monday, foreign ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russia-led military alliance, denounced recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran, warning they pose a threat to regional and global stability. In a statement released during their meeting in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, the ministers expressed 'deep concern over the dangerous escalation of tensions in the Middle East' and condemned the strikes as violations of the UN Charter and international law. They stressed that attacks on civilian infrastructure, including nuclear energy sites, are 'completely unacceptable' and could lead to 'devastating consequences for peace and global security.' The ministers also warned that such operations undermine efforts to establish a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East and heighten the risk of wider destabilization. CSTO members urged all parties to refrain from further raids on Iranian nuclear sites, particularly those monitored by the IAEA. 'There is no alternative to a peaceful diplomatic resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue,' the ministers affirmed, citing Iran's continued commitment to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
