China, Russia, Iran presidents attend SCO plus regional summit in Bishkek

Presidents from China, Russia, Iran and Turkiye join other leaders and senior officials at a plenary session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) plus summit in Kyrgyzstan, a bloc promoted by Russia and China as an alternative to Western power.

During this session, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said that a return by the United States to "a policy of pressure and threats" risked derailing diplomatic efforts to end the war in the Middle East.  Pezeshkian on Tuesday vowed to match any US move to return to a June deal aimed at ending their war, as he prepared to meet Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at an international summit.