BEIJING: China and Russia have called to end all illegal unilateral sanctions against Iran as senior diplomats from the three countries gathered in Beijing on Friday for talks on Tehran’s nuclear issues.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu chaired the meeting, which was also attended by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov Sergey Alexeevich and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, CGTN reported.
Iran has said that no new nuclear deal with the US is possible as long as Washington’s unilateral sanctions remain in place.
Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with six world powers in July 2015, agreeing to restrictions on its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
However, during Trump’s first term, the United States withdrew from the agreement in May 2018 and reinstated sanctions.
China and Russia, along with the US, France, and Britain, are permanent members of the UN Security Council. These countries, along with Germany and the European Union, were involved in the original 2015 preliminary framework agreement for the Iran nuclear deal.
Ma Zhaoxu reiterated China’s support for “political and diplomatic engagement and dialogue based on mutual respect”. “We emphasised the necessity of ending all illegal, unilateral sanctions,” Ma told reporters.
“The relevant parties should work to eliminate the root causes of the current situation and abandon sanctions, pressure, and threats of the use of force,” he said.
Maximum pressure
Trump has reinstated his maximum pressure” policy of sanctions against Iran. He also sent a letter to Iranian leadership this week urging nuclear talks and warning of possible military action if it refuses.
Tehran said the letter, which Trump said was addressed to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was currently “being reviewed”.
“Ultimately, the United States should lift the sanctions,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview published by the government’s official newspaper on Thursday.
“We will enter into direct negotiations when we are on an equal footing, free from pressure and threats, and are confident that the national interests of the people will be guaranteed.”
The same day, Washington upped its pressure campaign by imposing sanctions on Iranian Petroleum Minister Mohsen Paknejad.
Khamenei said this week that Iran “does not have nuclear weapons” and was “not seeking” them. Tehran has previously said that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.
