China, Russia and Iran call for end to US sanctions on Iran and the
restart of nuclear talks
[March 14, 2025]
By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Representatives of China, Russia and Iran called
Friday for an end to U.S. sanctions on Iran over its rapidly advancing
nuclear program and a restart to multinational talks on the issue.
The talks are the latest attempt to broach the matter and come after
U.S. President Donald Trump wrote to Iran’s supreme leader in an attempt
to jumpstart talks.
The letter, which hasn’t been published, was offered as Trump levied new
sanctions on Iran as part of his “maximum pressure” campaign that holds
out the possibility of military action while emphasizing he still
believed a new deal could be reached.
The three nations who met Friday morning “emphasized the necessity of
terminating all unlawful unilateral sanctions,” China’s Vice Foreign
Minister Ma Zhaoxu read from a joint statement, flanked by Russia’s
Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov Sergey Alexeevich and Iran’s Deputy
Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.
“The three countries reiterated that political and diplomatic engagement
and dialogue based on the principle of mutual respect remains the only
viable and practical option in this regard,” Ma read.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was due to meet with the
representatives later in the day.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has mocked Trump, saying he
wasn’t interested in talks with a “bullying government,” although
Iranian officials have offered conflicting signals over the possibility
of negotiations. Trump sent a letter to Khamenei in 2019 with no
apparent effect on rising tensions.
China and Russia are both permanent members of the U.N. Security
Council, along with France and Britain, that took part in the original
2015 Iran nuclear deal preliminary framework agreement alongside Germany
and the European Union. Trump withdrew America from the accord in 2018,
setting in motion years of attacks and tensions in the wider Middle
East.
[to top of second column]
|
From left, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Chinese
Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister
Kazem Gharibabadi, meet with reporters after their meeting at
Diaoyutai State Guest House on March 14, 2025 in Beijing, China. (Lintao
Zhang/Pool Photo via AP)
China and Russia have particularly close relations with Iran through
energy deals and Iran has provided Russia with bomb-carrying drones
in its war against Ukraine.
They are also seen as sharing a joint interest in diminishing the
role of the U.S. and other liberal democracies in determining world
events in favor of their own highly authoritarian systems.
Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. However, its officials
increasingly threaten to pursue a nuclear weapon. Iran now enriches
uranium to near weapons-grade levels of 60%, the only country in the
world without a nuclear weapons program to do so.
Under the original 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was allowed to enrich
uranium only up to 3.67% purity and to maintain a uranium stockpile
of 300 kilograms (661 pounds). The last report by the International
Atomic Energy Agency on Iran’s program put its stockpile at 8,294.4
kilograms (18,286 pounds) as it enriches a fraction of it to 60%
purity.
While Iran has maintained it won’t negotiate under duress, its
economy has been savaged by the U.S. sanctions. Protests over
women’s rights, the economy and Iran’s theocracy in recent years
have shaken its government.
China has sought to become more involved in Middle Eastern affairs
and a year ago hosted talks leading to the full restoration of
diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
___
Associated Press journalist Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab
Emirates, contributed to this report.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
