China and Russia call for end to nuclear sanctions on Iran

China, Russia and Iran have jointly called on the US and the West to lift sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear enrichment programme.

At a meeting in Beijing on Friday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu held talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazoo Gharibabadi.

The three called for a termination of US sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program in a joint statement read by China’s Ma.

The talks came after Trump wrote a letter to Iran’s supreme leader in an attempt to restart discussions of how to limit Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear programme.

While Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has openly mocked Trump’s diplomatic outreach, saying he isn’t interested in talks with a “bullying government”.

However, Iran’s participation in talks with China and Russia to urge the US to lift sanctions seems to contradict his stance.

China and Russia have particularly close relations with Iran thanks to various energy supply deals, while Iran has provided Russia with so-called kamikaze drones in its war against Ukraine. All three countries are members of the BRICS alliance.

China and Russia were also both parties to the original 2015 deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, to limit Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

Trump withdrew the US from the arrangement during his first term in office, complaining it was a “bad deal”.