Iran’s nuclear program: global diplomacy in action
China has announced it will hold talks with Russia and Iran regarding Iran’s nuclear program, as the United States intensifies its efforts to push Tehran towards a new agreement. Beijing plans to host the trilateral meeting later this week, which will occur following a closed session of the United Nations Security Council called by Western countries.
The renewed focus on Iran's nuclear program comes as the US seeks to prevent Iran from advancing towards nuclear weapons. The meeting in Beijing will involve senior officials from Iran and Russia, with Iran sending its deputy foreign minister. Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the discussions would center on the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions.
The relationship between Iran and Russia has grown closer since the onset of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, marked by a strategic cooperation treaty and continued strong ties with China. Russia recently mentioned discussions about international efforts to address Iran's nuclear program with Iran’s ambassador to Russia.
Iran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons, but Western nations remain concerned. Former President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear deal during his first term, which had imposed strict limitations on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. He also initiated a “maximum pressure” strategy against Iran.
Since taking office for his second term, Trump has expressed willingness to negotiate a new deal with Tehran, contingent upon support from China and Russia. However, he also reinstated sanctions and threatened military action, straining relations with Iran. Tehran has firmly rejected direct talks as long as sanctions are in place, with President Masoud Pezeshkian stating that Iran would not yield to humiliation.
Recently, Trump sent a letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging negotiations and warning of potential military action. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, confirmed that a representative from an Arab country would deliver the letter.
This meeting follows a recent UNSC session in New York, where discussions focused on Iran’s uranium stockpiles and its uranium enrichment activities, which have alarmed international bodies. The International Atomic Energy Agency has raised concerns over Iran’s rapid progress in enriching uranium to 60 percent, approaching weapons-grade levels.
The UNSC meeting, requested by several countries, called for Iran to provide full transparency on its nuclear activities. Iran had previously agreed to a nuclear deal with six world powers in 2015, which led to the lifting of sanctions in exchange for nuclear constraints. However, after the US withdrawal in 2018, Iran began to abandon its commitments, and subsequent attempts to revive the deal have not succeeded.
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