Since finalizing a 25-year strategic partnership agreement in March, Beijing and Tehran have remained rather quiet on any news regarding the deal and there have been no major announcements. This may be because Iran’s presidential elections are just around the corner, on June 18, and any further decisions would be taken by the next administration.

While there are few details on the agreement and there is not much focus on it in Iranian media, there are some signs that China-Iran ties are heading in a new direction.  

To begin with, there is new hope regarding Iran’s potential membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Iran, which has had observer status in the Eurasian alliance since 2005, officially applied for full membership in the SCO in 2008 and again in 2009, but United Nations sanctions prevented it from joining. If Tehran succeeds in joining, it would mean the 25-year strategic partnership with Beijing has made a big difference.

In a press briefing May 30, Tajikistan’s Ambassador to Iran Zohidi Nizomiddin disclosed that Iran’s permanent membership in the SCO will be part of the group’s agenda in this year’s summit. According to Nizomiddin, “Iran’s membership is one of the main programs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and if other countries are ready to accept Iran, Tajikistan will.”