Bishkek
The circulation of photos showing the warm meeting and broad smiles between Masoud Pezeshkian and Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the Shanghai Summit in Bishkek — a meeting filled with friendly gestures, mutual compliments, and conversations in Azerbaijani — has triggered a broad wave of angry and critical reactions among Iran’s political circles and across social media.
What has intensified the criticism is the stark contrast: the unusually warm interaction with Baku dominated the scene, in sharp contradiction to the brief, standing encounter between Pezeshkian and the Chinese president.
The Roots of the Criticism and Public Resentment
This wave of criticism did not emerge out of nowhere. Iranian public opinion and political elites have not forgotten Baku’s record of provocative actions against Tehran:
Military and security cooperation with Israel: Baku’s overt alliance with Tel Aviv, including major arms and drone deals, the establishment of intelligence and radar facilities near Iran’s borders, as well as alleged operations and attacks against Iran launched from Azerbaijani territory and airspace, followed by joint military exercises conducted by Israel and its allies just a stone’s throw from Iran’s borders.
Geopolitical changes: Baku’s repeated efforts to impose new geopolitical realities by seeking to eliminate the historic border between Iran and Armenia through the so-called “Zangezur Corridor.”
Unresolved security questions: The lingering suspicions surrounding the helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi, which remain present in public consciousness and have been associated by some with his meeting with Aliyev.
Despite this entire record and the heavy security costs involved, none of these circumstances appeared capable of wiping the satisfied smile from Pezeshkian’s face. His daughter even remembered Aliyev’s wife’s birthday and sent her a congratulatory message, adding yet another layer of warmth to the relationship.
A Stark Contradiction with Major Economic Priorities
These diplomatic gestures of warmth toward a neighbor that has repeatedly brandished its weapons against Iran come at a time when the country is under severe economic pressure and desperately needs to expand its strategic ties with China.
Russia, despite facing harsh sanctions over the Russia-Ukraine war, has managed together with China to establish multiple trade and barter channels and reduce their reliance on the dollar. Yet when Beijing reaches Iran’s doorstep, it encounters a mountain of coldness, bureaucratic obstruction, and administrative inertia.