China, Russia, Iran diplomats hold nuclear talks

Diplomats from China, Russiaand Iranmet in Beijing on Friday for discussions on Tehran's nuclear issues, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.

China hopes that the talks will help resume long-stalled negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.

In 2015, Iran reached a landmark deal with the US, Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France, which imposed curbs on Tehran's nuclear development in exchange for sanctions relief.

Washington withdrew from the pact during President Donald Trump's first term in 2018.

Iran stuck to the deal for a year after the US exit but then began setting aside its commitments.

What we know about the talks

Friday's meeting involved China's Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.

After the talks, Ma once again stressed China's support for "political and diplomatic engagement and dialogue based on mutual respect".

"(China, Russia and Iran) emphasised that the relevant parties should be committed to addressing the root cause of the current situation and abandoning sanction, pressure or threat of force," the Chinese vice foreign minister said. 

He added that the three countries also underlined the necessity of terminating all "unlawful" unilateral sanctions.

Beijing earlier said that it hopes that the talks "strengthen communication and coordination, to resume dialogue and negotiation at an early time".

Iranian deputy foreign minister Gharibabadi said that he had held "constructive" discussions in China and asserted that his country's nuclear program is "peaceful".

"We had a very constructive and positive meeting today," he told top Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi later in the day, accusing "some countries" of creating "an unnecessary crisis".
 

Pressure from Trump

The meeting comes days after Iran rejected what it said were US "orders" to resume dialogue on its nuclear program.

Trump said last week that he has proposed nuclear talks in a letter to Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The US President added  that "there are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily,or you make a deal".

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in response that he would not negotiate with Washington while being "threatened", and Iran would not bow to US "orders" to talk.

Edited by: Kieran Burke