China and Russia have stood by Iran as the US demands nuclear talks with Tehran, saying dialogue should only resume based on “mutual respect” and all sanctions ought to be lifted.
The two countries issued a joint statement after talks with Iran in Beijing, emphasizing that any resumption of dialogue must address the root cause of the current situation and abandon sanction, pressure or threat of force. China’s Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said this, adding that “unlawful” unilateral sanctions should be terminated.
The US has been pressing Iran to resume talks on its nuclear programme after President Donald Trump sent a letter proposing nuclear talks. However, Iranian officials have rejected the offer, saying they will not negotiate with the US while being threatened.
China and Russia welcome Iran’s reiteration that its nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes, and Tehran’s right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy should be fully respected. China hopes all parties will meet each other halfway and resume dialogue and negotiations as soon as possible.
The main cause of the current situation is the unilateral US withdrawal from the 2015 pact, which led to a collapse in diplomatic relations between Iran and the US. The US has also imposed new sanctions on Iranian oil minister and some Hong Kong-flagged vessels, which have been condemned by Iran’s foreign ministry as “clear evidence of the falsehood… of repetitive claims by American officials about their readiness for negotiations”.
Iran has long denied working on developing a nuclear weapon, but the International Atomic Energy Agency said last month that it was accelerating enrichment of uranium to near the 90% weapons-grade level.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-iran-russia-kick-off-talks-beijing-over-irans-nuclear-issues-2025-03-14