Iran recently hosted militaries from China, India, Russia, and six other countries for the first-ever Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) military exercise on Iranian soil. The five-day “Sahand 2025” exercise in the northwest of the country was more than a counterterrorism drill. It sent a clear geopolitical signal of Tehran’s full integration into the multilateral partnership led by China and Russia, illustrating how Beijing and Moscow now see Iran as a valuable participant in their broader regional projects that sit alongside Western formats. 

China, for its part, remains wary of unconditionally backing Tehran for fear of unwanted conflicts or disrupted oil flows as a result of Iran’s predilections – expanding its role across the Middle East, engaging in hostile actions against Israel, and, perhaps most crucially, maintaining a nuclear program that could encourage Tehran to ignore its nuclear non-proliferation obligations. 

But the recent military field operations, tactical maneuvers and joint command exercises from December 1 to 5 were an achievement for a country long isolated by U.N. sanctions and reflect China’s decisive shift in posture: Beijing is no longer worried about being seen as too........

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