Iran, Russia, Chine Meet To Discuss Tehran's Nuclear Programme (X image @GeringTuvia)

Beijing, China: Iran, Russia, and China meet in Beijing for talks on Iran‘s nuclear programme that could lead to the negotiations. The talks came after years of delay. China said that the three countries hope to find a “diplomatic” solution to Iran’s nuclear issue, Chinese state media reports. Beijing also said that all parties should maintain calm and restraint to avoid escalating Tehran’s nuclear situation.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, attended the meeting, and “exchanged views on the Iran nuclear issue and other issues of common concern”, reported Chinese media.

“In the current situation, we believe that all parties should maintain calm and restraint to avoid escalating the Iran nuclear situation, or even walking towards confrontation and conflict”, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters. He made the remarks before attending the meeting.

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Earlier, US, Russia, China, Britain, France, Germany and the European Union were part of a landmark pact which was reached in 2015. As per the agreement, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. However, a year into his first term as US President in 2918, Donald Trump withdrew from the pact.

While Tehran stuck to abide by the terms of the deal, which was considered a milestone for the administration of then-US President Barack Obama, it slowly began to roll back its commitment after Trump walked US back on the deal. Withdrawing from the pact, Trump adopted “maximum pressure” on Tehran. As a result of this, Iran has been facing crippling economy, and other crisis.

Trump continued to tighten the “maximum pressure” policy on Tehran. The meeting in Beijing came as a result of a series of overtures from Trump since his return to the White House in January.

Earlier this week, Trump sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling for new talks but also warning that the US was within its rights to take military action against Tehran’s nuclear programme.

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Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s President, responded that he would not negotiate with the US while being “threatened”, and Iran would not bow to US “orders” to talk. The country was further enraged after six of the United Nations Security Council’s 15 members – the US, France, Greece, Panama, South Korea and the United Kingdom – held a closed-door meeting this week to discuss its nuclear programme. It slammed the meeting as a “misuse” of the UN Security Council.

Iran also called out Washington’s “hypocrisy” after the latter announced new sanction targeting former’s oil trade. Tehran said the sanctions were “another clear proof of the falsity of these statements and another sign of its hostility to development”.

Khamenei said that Tehran does not have or want nuclear weapons. However, a recent report from the International Atomic Energy Agency said the country’s stockpile of enriched uranium, was close to the requirement for a nuclear bomb.