Beijing will host Russia and Iran (both major diplomatic partners) for trilateral talks on Tehran’s nuclear program on Friday, France24 reported.
The United States withdrew from a groundbreaking deal that had imposed curbs on Iran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief during President Donald Trump’s first term.
Tehran adhered to the 2015 deal for a year after Washington’s withdrawal, but began rolling back its subsequent commitments.
Efforts to revive the agreement have been upset ever since.
“In the current situation, we believe that all parties should maintain calm and restraint in order to avoid escalating the Iranian nuclear situation or even walking towards conflict and conflict,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mein said in a regular briefing.
Beijing said the meeting was attended by China’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Chaoks, Russian Deputy Minister Sergei Lyabakov and Iran’s Deputy Minister Kazem Galibabadi.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the meeting will focus on “development related to nuclear issues and lifting sanctions.”
Details about the timing of the meeting have not been shared.
However, Beijing said the talks aim to “enhance communication and coordination and resume dialogue and negotiations early.”
“China sincerely hopes that all parties can work together to continuously increase mutual trust, dispel anxiety and turn the momentum to resume dialogue and negotiations early into reality,” Mao Zedong said.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has called for a new nuclear deal with Tehran, reviving the “maximum pressure” policy of sanctions.
Iran officially ruled out in-person talks as long as sanctions remained.
Trump said he wrote a letter to Iran’s leaders of Islamic Revolution last week.
In a speech on Wednesday, Ayatollah Seiyed Ali Khamenei, leader of the Islamic Revolution, said he called the US president for negotiations with Iran as the UAE had visited Tehran to hand over Trump’s message.
The leader also issued a harsh warning to the United States, saying that retaliation would be critical and that if Americans and their allies launched a military attack on Iran, they would be the loser.
MNA