China will hold a meeting on Friday in Beijing with Russia and Iran on the Iranian nuclear issue with both nations sending their deputy foreign ministers.
Ties between Iran and Russia have reportedly deepened since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022, with a strategic cooperation treaty signed in January.
At a regular press conference on Wednesday, a spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry, Mao Ning, said that China’s Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu will chair the meeting.
The meeting will follow a closed-door gathering of the United Nations Security Council in New York the same day regarding Iran’s expansion of its stocks of uranium that are close to weapons-grade.
Last week, Russia said Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov discussed international efforts to tackle Iran’s nuclear programme with its ambassador, Kazem Jalali, after reports that Russia agreed to help U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration in communicating with Iran.
Meanwhile, Tehran has long denied wanting to develop a nuclear weapon.
However, the UN atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency has warned that it is dramatically accelerating enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the weapons-grade level of roughly 90%.
