Iran seeks relief from US sanctions in Asia
In its foreign policy toward Asian and Eurasian states, Iran is extending its outreach beyond traditional allies China and Russia to draw support from a range of countries and reduce the impact of US sanctions.
Hoping to ease the pain of mounting US pressure, Iran has been exploring all its diplomatic channels. Most recently, President Hassan Rouhani spent two hectic days networking at international conferences.
He attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, held June 13-14 in Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek, and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia on June 15 in Tajikistan’s capital, Dushanbe.
During both events, Rouhani had a single mission: to elucidate Iran's major policies in the presence of leaders and officials representing more than 20 countries.
The Iranian president’s speeches addressed wide-ranging issues, including the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal, US unilateralism, economic cooperation and convergence, regional stability and combating terrorism. On the sidelines, Rouhani exchanged views with his Russian, Chinese, Afghan, Tajik and Qatari counterparts — leaders who demonstrated overall support for the Islamic Republic of Iran's policies.
