China, Russia, and Iran called for an end to unilateral sanctions during nuclear talks in Beijing, days after Iran rejected President Trump’s call for negotiations. The three nations also urged all sides to avoid escalation, according to a joint statement released after the meeting on Friday.
Hosted by China’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu, the talks included Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi. “Political and diplomatic engagement and dialogue based on mutual respect remains the only viable and practical option,” Ma said. The statement also emphasized the importance of upholding the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The meeting highlighted Iran and Russia’s deepening ties and marked another step in ongoing diplomatic discussions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program. While Tehran maintains its nuclear activities are for civilian use, Western governments remain skeptical. The IAEA reported last month that Iran’s uranium enrichment has surged since Trump’s election victory in November.
China and Russia welcomed Iran’s reaffirmation that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes. But Trump recently sent a letter to Iran’s leadership urging talks on a new agreement, after abandoning the previous deal in 2018. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed Trump’s outreach as a “trick,” reaffirming that Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons.
The Beijing talks follow two rounds of preliminary nuclear discussions between Iran and European diplomats in Geneva in recent months.
