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The Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the Middle East: A Conversation with Eva Seiwert

In this episode, host Jonathan Fulton talks with Dr. Eva Seiwert about the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s expanding role in the Middle East, noting Iran’s recent full membership and the region’s growing list of dialogue partners. Seiwert explains the SCO’s dual nature—as both a strategic platform for China and Russia and a largely symbolic forum—while assessing how its presence could reshape regional security dynamics. She draws on her recent book and MERICS research to highlight the organization’s limited institutional capacity but significant political signaling value. The conversation also touches on the broader implications for Western influence and the evolving balance of power in the Middle East.