China announced a meeting with Russia and Iran on the latter nuclear program, which the UNSC will discuss, and Trump’s letter headed for Tehran.
China has said it will convene talks between Russia and Iran as the US is putting pressure on Tehran to agree to a new deal in its nuclear program.
Beijing announced Wednesday that it will host Russian and Iranian officials to discuss the issue later this week. The conference follows a UN Security Council closure session in which Western countries were summoned.
The growing focus on Iran’s nuclear programme would urge Tehran to agree to a deal that would prevent him from taking steps towards the acquisition of nuclear weapons amid new pressure from the US.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that a trilateral meeting on the “nuclear issue” will be held in Beijing on Friday. Iran and Russia will send vice ministers.
A spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the talks will focus on “development related to nuclear issues and lifting sanctions.”
Iran and Russia’s relations have been in place since the start of the Ukrainian War in 2022, with a Treaty of Strategic Cooperation signed in January, both of which have maintained good relations with China.
Last week, Russia said that Deputy Minister Sergei Lyabakh discussed international efforts to tackle Iran’s nuclear program after reports that Russia had agreed to support Trump’s administration in communications with Iran.
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Tehran has long denied its desire to develop nuclear weapons, but concerns remain high among Western countries.
During his first term, President Donald Trump retracted the US from the Landmark 2015 contract between Iran and major Western countries, which placed strict restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief and imposed a “maximum pressure” campaign.
Since taking office in January for his second term, Trump has expressed his openness to a new contract with Tehran, which needs support from Beijing and Moscow.
However, he also publicly threatened military action as an alternative to reviving an aggressive sanctions campaign and causing rage in Iran.
Iran has officially ruled out in-person talks as long as sanctions remain, and President Masuud Pezeshkian declared on Tuesday that his country “will not humiliate anyone.”
Last Friday, Trump wrote to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging him to warn him of possible negotiations and military action.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragut told reporters on Wednesday that after the cabinet meeting Tehran hopes that Arab state representatives will deliver the letter.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs later said UAE diplomatic advisor Anwar Mohamed Gargash would pass the Misib at a meeting with Araguchi later on Wednesday.
The China meeting follows a gathering of UNSC in New York on Wednesday when Iran is on expanding its uranium inventory.
The UN Atomic Watchdog has warned that Iran is “dramatically” accelerated uranium enrichment to up to 60% purity, approaching 90% of weapons grade levels.
The meeting called on the council to appeal to Iran to fulfill its obligation to provide information about the nuclear program, as requested by France, Greece, Panama, South Korea, the UK and the US.
Iran reached a comprehensive nuclear deal with the UK, China, France, Germany, Russia and the US in 2015, lifting Tehran sanctions in exchange for a curb in its nuclear program.
However, since Washington left the plan in 2018, Iran has escaped from international commitment.
The Biden administration and European countries subsequently spent in recent years seeking to rebuild the deal, but were unable to push it to the boundaries surrounding it before Trump returned to the country.
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