Each sunset in Tehran closes another day that the nation used to equip itself with the ability to nuke a Western city. Iran has largely stood alone against Europe and America in its fight for the right to nuclear weapons. No nation of any real power or influence has completely thrown its weight behind Tehran. However, to assume that the whole world is mad at Iran is naive.

The sorry truth is, Tehran, even with all of its baggage, is not nearly as despised as many would think. Iran actually has the support of other powerful and high-profile states. Russia, China and India all have a soft spot for Iran.

However, regarding the Iranian nuclear issue, so far even Russia and China have been fairly non-committal. Though they have condemned Europe and America for being too hard on Iran, they still haven’t chosen to bat decisively for the Iranian side. Opposing Iran by siding with America and Europe would go against their entrenched anti-Westernism, yet going too far the other direction by siding with Iran could be dangerous.

This is the dilemma facing Russia and China. Which side should they play for—or against?

An announcement last week might indicate the side these political and economic behemoths have finally decided to represent. Not surprisingly, the news is good for Iran and bad for America and Europe.

Formed in 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (sco) has till this point been a security organization comprised of the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as Russia and China. Although it certainly hasn’t been a central organization in global affairs, the membership of Russia and China definitely means the sco can’t be marginalized.

Sensing that the sco was gaining some traction last year, the United States requested observer status with the organization. That request was denied. America, as well as Europe, realizes this organization cannot be ignored.

This is especially true now.

The sco announced recently that it will ask Iran to become a full member.

This significant event was missed by most Western media outlets. Thanks to some adroit reporting by Asia Times, we are able to learn the full potential of this decision and what it means for Iran, as well as America and Europe.

“The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (sco), which maintained it had no plans for expansion, is now changing course. Mongolia, Iran, India and Pakistan, which previously had observer status, will become full members” (April 18). Gone are the days when the sco was a small organization, with its only credentials being that it was headed by Russia and China. With additions like firebrand Iran and economic powerhouse India, watch for the sco to begin to throw its weight around on the world political scene.

Regarding the sco’s recent statement, Asia Times continued: The “sco’s decision to welcome Iran into its fold constitutes a political statement“ (emphasis ours throughout). This invite to Iran was essentially Russia and China’s announcement that in the standoff between Iran and the West, they have decided to come down on Iran’s side.

Regarding Iran’s nuclear program, Asia Times reported that the “sco would now proceed to adopt a common position on the Iran nuclear issue at its summit meeting June 15.” Until this point, America and Europe have really been the only nations grappling with Iran over its nuclear program. When sco member nations adopt a common position on the issue, Europe and America could find themselves facing a much bigger problem. If sco members take Iran’s side on this issue, the task of disarming Iran will grow much more difficult.

Asia Times continued, “The sco’s change of heart appears set to involve the organization in Iran’s nuclear battle and other ongoing regional issues with the United States.” By embracing Iran, Russia and China are essentially making the sco a primary means to coordinate and hone their efforts to challenge Western power and influence. Watch for this to happen!

When he visited Moscow, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mohammadi told Itar-tass that the membership expansion “could make the world more fair” (i.e. provide competition for American “imperialism”). The Iranian minister also discussed coordinating the energy infrastructure of Russia and Iran and building an Iran-Russia “gas and oil arc” (ibid.).

With gas prices surging across the globe, the suggestion that two oil-rich and intensely anti-Western nations should work together to consolidate their energy resources should be no small concern.

With pressure over the Iranian nuclear program mounting, the sco’s decision is literally a “lifeline for Iran in political and economic terms” (ibid.).

Although it is not a military bloc, the sco is a security organization ostensibly committed to monitoring religious extremism and countering terrorism, among other things. How will Iran’s accession to the organization help in fulfilling these goals? You don’t have to be a whiz mathematician to see that something doesn’t add up. Iran embodies both religious extremism and terrorism. If it is serious about its mission, the sco should be opposing Iran, not embracing it.

By welcoming Iran, Russia and China are flouting America’s contention that Iran is the world’s number-one sponsor of terrorism and a nation led by religious fanaticism. Full membership into the widely recognized and respected sco will equip Iran with something it presently lacks: credence.

Iran stands to gain more than just the political backing of Russia, China and India. sco membership also comes with significant economic benefits. “By virtue of sco membership, Iran can partake of the various sco projects, which in turn means access to technology, increased investment and trade, infrastructure development such as banking, communication, etc. It would also have implications for global energy security” (ibid.).

There are many implications to the sco’s decision to invite Iran into its fold. First, it is encouraging to Iran to know that two of the world’s most powerful and high-profile nations have no qualms about aligning with Tehran. Second, this decision shows America and Europe that their battle with Iran will intensify, as Russia, China and India throw their weight behind Tehran. Third, this invite highlights that a distinctive anti-Western fault line is growing deeper throughout the world. These nations seek to embrace Iran mainly because of the nation’s staunch anti-Western stance. Fourth, with Iran, India and Pakistan as full members, together with Russia and China, it’s likely that the sco will seek to establish a stronger position of influence in Western and Central Asia. Surrounded by sco members, it is entirely possible that American and nato forces in the region could be squeezed out.

America and Europe are not being joined by too many other nations in their effort to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program and deal with the many other problems Tehran causes. Clearly a number of nations, including such high-profile states as Russia and China, actually sympathize with Tehran.

This might be hard to see and admit, but it is reality.

Thanks to the support it will receive from other nations, such as its fellow sco members, Iran will only grow bolder and increasingly pushy in its foreign policy. As this occurs, watch for America and Europe to grow more frustrated in their attempts to “manage” this Middle Eastern dilemma.

Pushed one too many times, Bible prophecy indicates that the West will finally solve the problem that is Iran. To learn who, and how, read our booklet The King of the South.