Senior diplomats from China, Russia, and Iran convened in Beijing on Friday to discuss Iran’s nuclear program, Chinese state media reported.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, the three sides exchanged views on Iran’s nuclear issue and other matters of mutual concern.
The discussions involved Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Chaoxu, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, and Iranian diplomat Kazem Gharibabadi.
The talks come as former US President Donald Trump—who returned to office in January—has expressed openness to negotiations with Tehran.
During his first term, which ended in 2021, Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear deal, which had imposed restrictions on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. He subsequently reinstated heavy sanctions on Iran.
While Tehran initially adhered to the deal for a year after the US withdrawal, it later began rolling back its commitments. Efforts to revive the agreement have since failed.
Western nations have long suspected Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran vehemently denies, insisting its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes, including energy production.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday that the goal of the Beijing talks was to “enhance communication and coordination to resume dialogue and negotiations as soon as possible.”
“China sincerely hopes that all parties will work together to continuously build mutual trust, address concerns, and turn momentum for dialogue and negotiations into reality soon,” she added.
