China and Iran’s defence ministers agreed to closer cooperation on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Kazakhstan.
According to Iranian Brigadier General Mohammed-Reza Astiani, “better cooperation and rapprochement between both sides is needed to resolve regional and international security challenges.”
He spoke after meeting Chinese Admiral Dong Jun in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
Iran is isolated internationally due to its nuclear program and its support for non-state militant groups in the Middle East.
It responded by improving relations with Russia and China. To pursue new partners, Tehran joined the SCO in July 2023.
Earlier this year it joined the BRICS organization, whose original members are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
China has become the largest buyer of Iranian oil and an important economic partner. In 2021, the two countries signed a 25-year cooperation deal.
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