Iran, China, and Russia Negotiations; All Three Parties Called for Multilateral Talks and Lifting Sanctions

Representatives from China, Russia, and Iran, at the end of their trilateral meeting in Beijing, called for the lifting of U.S. sanctions against Iran and the resumption of multilateral negotiations on this matter. Ma Zhaoxu, the Deputy Foreign Minister of China, read a joint statement on Friday, March 15, and said, "The three countries emphasized the necessity of lifting all unilateral and illegal sanctions." This trilateral meeting, focused on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, comes as the President of the United States sent a letter to Tehran this week, requesting nuclear negotiations. Mr. Trump also warned of potential military action if the Iranian government refuses to negotiate. The content of this letter has not yet been published, but Tehran officials have stated that the letter is "under review." These events coincide with the United States imposing sanctions on Iran's oil minister, several oil tankers, and other commercial companies as part of Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" policy on Tehran. Chinese state media reported that in the trilateral meeting, chaired by Ma Zhaoxu and attended by Kazem Gharibabadi, the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, and Sergey Ryabkov, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, the parties discussed "Iran's nuclear issue and other topics of mutual interest." After the meeting, Ma Zhaoxu told reporters, "The three countries reiterated that political and diplomatic engagement and dialogue based on the principle of mutual respect is the only practical and realistic option in this regard." Lavrov: The U.S. seeks to halt some of Iran's regional activities for a new agreement. This Chinese official also urged the parties involved in the Islamic Republic's nuclear file to set aside "sanctions, pressures, and threats of resorting to force" in the current situation and to work towards eliminating the "conditions" that have led to the current state. Both China and Russia are permanent members of the UN Security Council and participated in the initial agreement on Iran's nuclear program known as the JCPOA in 2015, along with France, the UK, Germany, and the EU. The United States withdrew from this agreement during Donald Trump's first presidency. Since Trump's return to the White House in January 2025, he has called for a new nuclear agreement with Iran, but Tehran states that such an agreement is not possible as long as punitive sanctions against its nuclear program and "maximum pressure" remain in place. Regional and international efforts to negotiate over Iran's nuclear program and ensure a treaty have increased since the International Atomic Energy Agency reported a significant rise in Iran's enriched uranium stockpile. Abbas Araqchi, Iran's Foreign Minister, stated in an interview published on Thursday in the government’s official newspaper, "The U.S. must lift the sanctions. We will enter direct negotiations when we are in an equal situation free from pressure and threats." The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic has also repeatedly rejected the idea of negotiating with the U.S., stating that negotiations are a way for the other side to present "new expectations." According to him, "The issue is not just the nuclear issue. New expectations such as defense programs, missile capabilities, and Iran's international capabilities are raised, which will certainly not be met by the Islamic Republic." This is a point that Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, also noted, indicating that there are signs that the U.S. wants the future nuclear agreement with Iran to include regional issues and Iran's non-support for groups in the region.