China, Iran, and Russia have commenced discussions in Beijing regarding Iran’s nuclear matters

Senior diplomats from Iran, Russia, and China convened in Beijing on Friday to discuss Tehran’s nuclear concerns, as reported by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. This meeting occurred shortly after Iran dismissed U.S. “demands” to reinitiate discussions regarding its nuclear program.

In 2015, Iran entered into an agreement with the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, committing to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for the removal of international sanctions. However, in 2018, then-President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the agreement.

Recently, Trump announced that he had sent a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suggesting nuclear negotiations, stating, “There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal.” In response, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian asserted that negotiations with the U.S. would not occur under threats, emphasizing that Iran would not comply with U.S. “demands” for dialogue.

Iran expressed further outrage after six members of the United Nations Security Council—namely the U.S., France, Greece, Panama, South Korea, and the UK—held a private meeting to discuss its nuclear program. Tehran condemned this gathering as a “misuse” of the U.N. Security Council’s authority.

Leading up to the Beijing discussions, which included the vice foreign ministers of China, Russia, and Iran, China expressed hope that the trilateral meeting would foster “conditions” conducive to the prompt resumption of dialogue and negotiations. Iran has consistently denied pursuing the development of nuclear weapons; however, the International Atomic Energy Agency recently cautioned that Tehran is “dramatically” increasing its uranium enrichment, nearing the approximately 90% threshold considered weapons-grade.