Tehran’s staging of the Sahand-2025 signaled that the future of regional security will be forged in Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing – not dictated by Washington.
The Cradle
By the time the exercises concluded on 5 December in the northwestern city of Khoy, Iran had not only showcased its military readiness but signaled a seismic shift in its regional alignments. In the presence of all member states – including Belarus, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Observers were also present from Azerbaijan, Iraq, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, with Iran demonstrating that it has fully embedded itself in Eurasia's emerging security bloc.
The participants demonstrated their extensive skills in combating terrorism and extremism. Over the course of five busy days, they displayed their expertise in hostage rescuing, border clearing, drone strikes, helicopter attacks, and stabilization, all while live ammunition was being fired.
From symbolic participation to strategic assertion
The drill showcased the latest weapons and equipment from the participating countries, thereby improving their ability to work together to address threats that cross national borders. It was an occasion for sharing experiences, encouraging cooperation, and increasing multilateral efforts among SCO member states to take on the terror threats.
The selection of the venue for the SCO military drill in Iran has enabled archrivals India and Pakistan to share the field and to avoid a serious rift within the organization.
Sajjad Azhar, a senior analyst in Islamabad, tells The Cradle: “It is crucial to recognize that, among the countries most affected by terrorism, Pakistan stands out as a prominent SCO member enduring the profound repercussions of this challenge.”
He points out that had the exercise been held in Pakistan, India might have opted out, exacerbating tensions within the SCO. Iran, a neutral ground for these South Asian rivals, allowed both to participate without disruption.
An anti-terror exercise aimed at the west
But the timing and location also carried deeper intent. Iranian officials and commentators have framed Sahand-2025 as a warning shot to western powers. Azhar says that the SCO's counterterrorism exercises mark an important turning point for Iran, which joined the group in 2023.
The SCO's counterterrorism tactics have thrown a wrench in the works for the US and EU’s attempts to label the IRGC as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). The drill drove the point home that the IRGC is far from a terror outfit; rather, it stands as a formidable anti-terror force, trusted as a solid line of defense against regional terror threats. As Azhar adds:
“This counterterrorism exercise sends a clear message to the US and the west, disrupting their perception of the SCO being an economic alliance rather than a military coalition. Drills of this nature, currently classified under counterterrorism, may soon broaden their scope to include any adversarial state considered pertinent to the definition of terrorism. Consequently, the initiatives carried out by the SCO, acknowledged as the largest regional organization by population and representing one-fifth of the world's GDP, will unquestionably have a significant impact.”
Internal security, external alliances
On the political front, Iran aims to leverage the influence of the SCO to demonstrate its alignment with significant Eurasian players and dispel the perception of isolation. Iran's first-ever SCO counterterrorism drill aims to convey a message rather than just demonstrate its military might. Tehran aims to showcase itself as a player on the global stage, demonstrating that it possesses genuine multilateral chops to tackle regional security issues.
Zahir Shah Sherazi, executive vice president of BOL News, informs The Cradle that the SCO's counterterrorism exercise in Iran is a strategically significant event:
“Although it cannot be categorized as a large-scale military drill in terms of scope and intensity, it undoubtedly sent a message from Tehran and the SCO member states to the US and its allies, signifying that Iran is no longer isolated and is an important partner of the regional nations.”
Sherazi states that Iran has benefited from this exercise through its alignment with the Eurasian bloc, and though the SCO does not possess a military role, the conduct of this exercise in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province serves as a message to the western world and serves as moral support for Iran.
The drill bolstered Iran's standing as a pivotal security player in Eurasia, leveraging its clout in the SCO to safeguard vital routes such as the North–South Corridor, stretching from the Caspian to the Persian Gulf, and links to the Caucasus and Central Asia.
In an interview with Tehran Times, Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, stated that Iran’s hosting of the Sahand drills was an initiative aimed at “alignment and coalition-building in line with a new architecture for regional security.”
On 2 December, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf emphasized that the extensive joint counterterrorism exercises send a strong signal to the big players on the block. The exercises reveal a fierce resolve among independent nations to shield themselves from the heavy hand of oppression across the globe.
Ghalibaf noted that the exercises demonstrate a strong determination among independent nations to protect themselves from global oppression, highlighting the steady upward trajectory of Iran's defense partnerships and collaborative efforts with other regional countries.
Eurasian integration and post-war messaging
Addressing a press conference on 2 December, Brigadier General Vali Ma’dani, deputy commander of IRGC operations and leader of the exercise, emphasized that the “Joint Counter-Terrorism Drills Sahand-2025” holds tremendous importance, as Iran has consistently stood at the forefront of the battle against terror and terrorist factions. He pointed out that the Sahand-2025 Joint Counterterrorism Exercise is held in Iran after the 12-day war with Israel in June, hence making it of paramount importance.
The commander stated, “We have witnessed the tragic loss of 17,000 of our own citizens, including women and children, at the hands of these terrorists, and we're ready to tackle terrorism head-on.”
The choice of East Azerbaijan – a region with active Kurdish militant presence and Azeri nationalist undercurrents – also sends an inward-facing message. With Kurdish factions active along Iran’s northern borders with Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the Naxcivan exclave, and accused of cross-border arms smuggling, the Sahand drill reinforces Tehran's resolve to clamp down on separatist militancy.
Sherazi tells The Cradle that the drill's subtext likely unsettled Kurdish rebels and Azeri militants alike because this military exercise is undoubtedly focused on Northeastern militant groups, who may perceive a threat from Iran’s alignment with Armenia and Azerbaijan:
“The primary focus of SCO’s counterterrorism mechanism is centered on Afghanistan, as militant groups operate freely there, posing significant threats to China, Pakistan, Iran, and Central Asian countries. The impending war on terror will be fought within Afghan territory.”
Elaborating further, he observes that Iran wants this event as leverage to establish connections with Central Asian states, particularly in light of the ongoing developments in Afghanistan.
“This SCO initiative provided momentum to regional alliances between Pakistan, China, India, Iran, Russia, and the Central Asian republics, including Belarus, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, under the auspices of the Moscow format. Although it is premature at this stage to suggest that this counterterrorism mechanism may develop into a form of military cooperation, the possibility cannot entirely be ruled out.”
Toward a future SCO military alliance?
Beyond immediate counterterrorism goals, the Sahand-2025 drill may be laying the groundwork for more ambitious military integration.
With participation from Belarus to Uzbekistan, and with powerful members like China and Russia taking lead roles, the exercise projected a growing Eurasian front ready to counter external threats collectively.
For Iran, the drills conveyed a rejection of western isolation efforts and a reaffirmation of its strategic pivot eastward.
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