China and Russia have joined Iran in condemning US sanctions and supporting efforts to restore a landmark nuclear deal with Tehran. The three countries agreed at a meeting in Beijing that unilateral restrictions should be ended and international talks over Iran’s atomic activities should resume.
The agreement comes after the US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in 2018. Russia and China were key participants in the Obama-era agreement, which restricted Iran’s nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief.
Iran has expanded its stocks of near-bomb grade enriched uranium while the US has toughened its sanctions. The country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has dismissed Trump’s call for talks as a “trick” designed to lead his country toward more sanctions.
The participants in Beijing emphasized the need for all countries to abstain from actions that would undermine the inspection activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency monitors still working in Iran. The United Nations watchdog last month reported a surge in nuclear activity in Iran over the past few months.
China’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov attended the meeting, while Iranian Deputy Minister Kazem Gharibabadi represented his country. A separate meeting included Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-russia-unite-behind-iran-121317138.html