Iran participates in SCO counterterrorism drill in Belarus as China declines deeper US-Iran war involvement
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Ground Force joined a Shanghai Cooperation Organization anti-terrorism exercise in Belarus, while China refused Tehran's request for more direct action in the US-Iran conflict.
Iran sent a team from its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Ground Force to Belarus to join a multinational counterterrorism drill organized by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The exercise, called "Eurasia Antiterror 2026," is scheduled to start on Thursday and will involve special units from Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Russia and Uzbekistan, aiming to counter extremist actions and contain violent groups. An IRGC official highlighted the focus on combating terrorism.
At the same time, China has rejected Iranian pleas for a more active intervention in the broader US-Iran and Israel war, emphasizing a limited role. The SCO, which includes China, Russia, Iran, India, Pakistan and several Central Asian states, uses such drills to deepen security cooperation among its members. The CIS Anti-Terrorism Center confirmed the participation of the listed nations.
Why it matters
The drill shows expanding security cooperation in Eurasia while China's restraint signals limits to its involvement in US-Iran tensions.
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