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Iran becomes full member of Shanghai Cooperation Organization

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Iran on Tuesday gained full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the end of the 23rd summit of the SCO Council of Heads of States.

Tehran became the ninth member of the regional bloc.

“The member states stressed the historical significance of the admission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the SCO as a full Member State,” said the New Delhi Declaration issued at the end of the summit, released on Tuesday evening.

The SCO members also noted the “importance” of signing the memorandum of obligations by Belarus to “achieve the status of an SCO member state.”

In his address to the summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the SCO to grant Belarus full membership, Andadolu reported.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the host of the summit held virtually, said he was “happy Iran is becoming a member of SCO grouping,” adding that the summit would also pave the way for Belarus to become a permanent member of the bloc.

Also, at this year’s meeting, Kazakhstan will be taking over as chair of the eight-nation group from India.

Iran joined China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, India and Uzbekistan as full member during Tuesday’s summit where Belarus, and Mongolia were invited as observer state.

Promising continued efforts to assist the Afghan people in view of the evolving humanitarian situation, the SCO members said they consider it “essential to establish an inclusive government” in Afghanistan with the participation of representatives of all ethnic, religious and political groups in Afghan society.

Addressing the summit, China’s President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to oppose “building barriers and walls” as well as “de-coupling.”

“China is willing to work with other members to stick to the right direction of economic globalization, object protectionism, unilateral sanctions and overstretching the national security concept,” Xi said.

Xi said China “will strive to make the cake of mutually beneficial cooperation bigger so as to deliver more benefits to people around the world,” the Chinese daily Global Times reported.

Xi also called on the SCO members “to enhance their solidarity and mutual trust.”

He emphasized “safeguarding regional peace and ensuring common security,” according to a transcript released by the China Daily newspaper.

The Chinese president said the SCO members should “strengthen exchanges and mutual learning” besides “fostering closer people-to-people ties.”

Calling for “pragmatic SCO cooperation to speed up economic recovery,” Xi suggested “synergizing” the Belt and Road Initiative with “development strategies of various countries.”

He added: “The historical trend of peace, development, and win-win cooperation is unstoppable.”

The Indian Prime Minister Modi said New Delhi had made sustained efforts, during its term as the SCO chair, to take “our multi-faceted cooperation to new heights.”

The food, fuel and fertilizer crisis is a “big challenge” for all the countries in the world “surrounded by controversies, tensions and epidemics,” Modi said, adding: “Terrorism may be in any form, in any manifestation, we have to fight together against it.”

Regional

Trump backs down on strikes on Iran’s power network, says US and Tehran holding talks

Iranian attacks have effectively closed the Strait, which ​carries a ⁠fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas.

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President Donald Trump backed down on targeting Iran’s power network on Monday, saying the U.S. and ​Iran have held constructive talks and that he would ‌postpone any strikes on power plants and energy infrastructure, Reuters reported.

Trump’s statement came after Iran threatened to attack Israel’s power plants and those supplying U.S. bases ​across the Gulf region if the U.S. targets Iran’s ​power network.

The dollar plunged and ​stocks surged following Trump’s post.

The United States and Iran “have had, over ​the last two days, very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East,” Trump wrote ​in a post on Truth Social.

“I have instructed the Department ​of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants ‌and ⁠energy infrastructure for a five-day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions.”

On Saturday, Trump warned that Iranian power plants would be destroyed if Tehran failed to “fully open” ​the Strait of ​Hormuz to ⁠all shipping within 48 hours. Trump set a deadline of around 7:44 p.m. EDT (2344 GMT) on ​Monday.

Iranian attacks have effectively closed the Strait, which ​carries a ⁠fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas, read the report.

More than 2,000 people have been killed in the war the U.S. and Israel ⁠launched ​on February 28, which has upended markets, ​driven up fuel costs, fuelled global inflation fears and convulsed the postwar Western ​alliance.

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Iran says coastal attack will lead to full Gulf closure and mine-laying

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An attack on Iran’s southern coast and islands will lead to ​Gulf routes being cut with the ‌laying of sea mines, the country’s Defence Council said on Monday according to state media, Reuters reported.

The ​U.S. is considering plans to occupy, opens new tab or ​blockade Iran’s Kharg Island, the country’s main ⁠oil export hub, to pressure Tehran ​to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ​all shipping, according to Axios.

“Any attempt to attack Iran’s coasts or islands will cause all access routes ​in the Gulf (…) to be mined ​with various types of sea mines, including floating ‌mines ⁠that can be released from the coast,” the statement read.

“In this case, the entire Gulf will practically be in a situation ​similar to ​the ⁠Strait of Hormuz for a long time (…) One should not forget ​the failure of more than ​100 ⁠minesweepers in the 1980s in removing a few sea mines.”

The Defence Council recalled that ⁠non-belligerent ​states can only pass through ​the Strait of Hormuz by coordinating passage with Iran.

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Iran says Hormuz open to all but ‘enemy-linked’ ships

The threat of Iranian attacks during the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has kept most ships from getting through the narrow strait, the conduit for around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, threatening a global energy shock.

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The Strait of Hormuz remains open to all shipping except vessels linked to “Iran’s enemies”, Iranian media reports published on Sunday quoted Iran’s representative to the U.N. maritime agency as saying.

Ali Mousavi’s comments came from an interview published on Friday by Chinese news agency Xinhua, before U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to target ⁠Iranian power plants if the strait was not “fully open” within 48 hours.

The threat of Iranian attacks during the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has kept most ships from getting through the narrow strait, the conduit for around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, threatening a global energy shock.

Mousavi, who is also Iran’s ambassador to the ⁠UK, was also quoted as saying that Tehran would continue to cooperate with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to improve maritime safety and protect seafarers in the Gulf, adding that ships ⁠not belonging to “Iran’s enemies” could pass the strait by coordinating security and safety arrangements with Tehran.

“Diplomacy remains Iran’s priority. However, a complete ⁠cessation of aggression as well as mutual trust and confidence are more important,” Mousavi said, adding that Israeli ⁠and U.S. attacks against Iran were at the “root of the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz”.

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