Iran: Thwarting US sanctions needs new solution

Iran and the United States have been struggling to overcome an impasse for revival of a 2015 nuclear deal that Washington exited in 2018 and reimposed crippling economic sanctions on Tehran.

Tehran, which seeks to overcome economic isolation imposed by US sanctions, signed a memorandum of obligations to become a permanent member of the SCO.
Reuters

Tehran, which seeks to overcome economic isolation imposed by US sanctions, signed a memorandum of obligations to become a permanent member of the SCO.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that thwarting "draconian" US sanctions required new solutions, asserting that an expanding central Asian security organisation could help defy Washington's unilateralism.

Speaking at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Uzbek city of Samarkand, Raisi also called for an expansion of free trade among the SCO's member countries, alongside financial and banking cooperation. 

"The SCO needs to adopt new solutions and take specific measures to counter draconian US sanctions and its unilateralism, such as sustainable trade among its member states," Raisi said.

READ MORE: What’s the holdup in Iran nuclear deal?

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Permanent SCO member

Tehran, which seeks to overcome economic isolation imposed by US sanctions, on Thursday signed a memorandum of obligations to become a permanent member of the SCO. 

The organisation, formed in the 2001 as a talking shop for Russia, China and ex-Soviet states in Central Asia, expanded four years ago to include India and Pakistan, with a view to playing a bigger role as counterweight to Western influence in the region.

Iran and the United States are struggling to overcome an impasse for revival of a 2015 nuclear deal that Washington exited in 2018 and reimposed crippling economic sanctions on Tehran.

READ MORE: Iran reviewing US response to EU plan for nuclear deal

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