China and Russia have reaffirmed their support for Iran amid US pressure over Tehran's nuclear program, urging a return to dialogue based on mutual respect and calling for the lifting of all sanctions against Iran.
Following trilateral talks in Beijing on Friday, senior diplomats from China, Russia, and Iran issued a joint statement emphasizing the need to address the root causes of the nuclear standoff. They condemned "unlawful" unilateral sanctions and underscored that Iran's right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy must be fully respected.
The meeting was not held at the highest diplomatic level but was led by deputy foreign ministers. Russia's Sergei Ryabkov, Iran's Kazem Gharibabadi, and China's Ma Zhaoxu attended the talks at the Diaoyutai State Guest House on Friday.
"(China, Russia, and Iran) emphasized that the relevant parties should be committed to addressing the root cause of the current situation and abandoning sanctions, pressure, or threats of force," said China's Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu.
Iran says Russia and China back limiting talks to nuclear issue
Iran, Russia, and China have agreed that future negotiations will focus solely on Iran's nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions, with no other issues on the table, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, announced after the trilateral meeting in Beijing.
"Any negotiations and discussions will be exclusively centered on the nuclear issue and the removal of sanctions," Gharibabadi said during a press conference following the meeting.
A major point of contention in the broader negotiation process has been whether discussions should expand to include Iran's missile program and its regional activities—issues that Washington insists must be addressed in any future agreement. However, Tehran and Moscow have firmly rejected this approach.
"Negotiations should not include Iran’s missile program or its regional influence," Russia’s envoy to the Vienna talks, Mikhail Ulyanov, said last week in an interview with BBC Persian. "Adding these topics would complicate the process and make it unmanageable."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also criticized Washington's stance, warning that efforts to attach additional conditions to the agreement would fail. "This is not going to fly," Lavrov said, emphasizing Moscow's position that negotiations must remain limited to the original nuclear framework.
Trump says talks or risk of military action
The meeting comes as tensions rise between Tehran and Washington. The US has recently pushed for Iran to resume nuclear talks, but Iran has resisted, citing ongoing sanctions and perceived threats.
Last week, US President Donald Trump reiterated his stance on how to deal with Iran, saying, "There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal." In response, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian firmly rejected any dialogue under pressure, saying Iran "would not bow to US orders to talk."
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, however, indicated Tehran's openness to indirect negotiations via Oman. "Indirect negotiation is feasible... What is important is that the will to negotiate and reach a fair and just agreement comes up in equal conditions," Araghchi said in an interview. Oman has historically served as a diplomatic channel between Tehran and Washington.
However, Araghchi emphasized that "entering negotiations under maximum pressure will lead to negotiations from a position of weakness."
Meanwhile, concerns over Iran's nuclear activities have grown. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently warned that Tehran has dramatically accelerated uranium enrichment, approaching weapons-grade levels. Iran has denied seeking nuclear weapons but acknowledged increased enrichment as a response to US pressure.
A closed-door UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday, requested by six members including the US, Britain, and France, discussed Iran's compliance with nuclear regulations. Tehran criticized the meeting as a "misuse" of the Security Council.
China and Russia, both key stakeholders in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), have reiterated their commitment to restoring the deal, which Trump withdrew from in 2018. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized Washington's efforts to attach additional conditions to a future agreement, warning that it "is not going to fly."
China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning emphasized restraint. "In the current situation, we believe that all parties should maintain calm and restraint to avoid escalating the Iran nuclear situation or walking towards confrontation and conflict," she said on Thursday.
As diplomatic tensions escalate, Beijing has called for enhanced cooperation to "increase mutual trust and dispel misgivings," while Russia has positioned itself as a potential mediator.
