Meeting Between Top Diplomats Signals Tehran May Be Ready for Renewed Nuclear Negotiations
Diplomats from Iran, Russia, and China are meeting in Beijing to discuss Tehran’s nuclear programme, a development that could pave the way for renewed negotiations after years of delay.
On Friday, Chinese state media reported that the three countries aim to find a “diplomatic” solution to Iran’s nuclear issue. Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, urged all parties to remain calm and avoid escalating tensions.
The meeting included Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi. According to Chinese media, they exchanged views on the Iran nuclear issue and other matters of mutual concern.
The discussions come in the wake of heightened tensions following the US withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), under former President Donald Trump in 2018. The agreement, a landmark achievement during the Barack Obama administration, had seen Iran agree to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.
Although Tehran initially continued to adhere to the deal after Trump’s withdrawal, it gradually began scaling back its commitments. The Beijing meeting follows recent overtures from Trump, who returned to the White House in January 2025, to resume nuclear talks with Iran.
This week, Trump sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling for new negotiations but also warning that the US reserves the right to take military action against Iran’s nuclear programme. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded that Iran would not negotiate under threats or bow to US “orders” to engage in talks.
Tehran also expressed outrage after six members of the United Nations Security Council—the US, France, Greece, Panama, South Korea, and the UK—held a closed-door meeting to discuss Iran’s nuclear programme. Iran labeled the meeting a “misuse” of the UN Security Council.
Separately, Iran criticized the US for “hypocrisy” after Washington imposed new sanctions targeting its oil minister. Tehran described the move as “another clear proof of the falsity of these statements and another sign of its hostility to development.”
Despite Tehran’s insistence that it does not possess or seek nuclear weapons, a recent report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) indicated that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium is nearing the threshold required for a nuclear bomb.
The Beijing talks suggest that Tehran may be open to renewed dialogue, though significant obstacles remain amid ongoing tensions with the US and other international actors.
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