Commentary A new axis of cooperation that includes Iran, Russia, and China is becoming more formalized and overt. The three nations are banding together to counter American power as the world’s eyes are glued on Ukraine. The Islamic Republic joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), of which Russia and China were founding members, in September. The SCO aims to foster military, economic, and cultural cooperation of its members, which also include the former Soviet Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Vladimir Putin views Iran’s participation in the SCO as part of Russia’s project of Eurasian integration. “Naturally, the United States and the West, in general, are concerned about new coalitions, which are currently [being created] on the international arena,” Iran’s ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali told Russia’s state news agency TASS on Jan. 24. “A coalition of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China is an …