Iran to hold nuclear talks with China, Russia on Friday
Trump’s letter delivered to Iranian FM by UAE official
Iran confirmed Wednesday that it would sit down for talks with China and Russia in the Chinese capital Beijing on its nuclear program.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a statement that the three-way talks would focus on “developments related to the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions.”
Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi also said the trio would also discuss and exchange views on other issues, including those related to cooperation within the framework of BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
China’s Foreign Ministry earlier announced that Beijing would host the trilateral talks.
The meeting will be attended by China’s Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and Gharibabadi.
In recent months, Tehran and Washington have expressed their interests in new negotiations to resolve the standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program.
However, Iranian officials became skeptical after US President Donald Trump imposed fresh sanctions.
Trump has repeatedly said he wants to negotiate a new deal with Iran while also threatening military action if an agreement is not reached.
The US president recently said he has sent a letter to Iran’s leader.
Trump’s letter
The letter was delivered to Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday by Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates, IRNA reported.
Iranian officials say Iran will not enter any negotiations with the US so long as the US continues its “maximum pressure” policy.
Under the policy, Trump pulled out of Iran’s nuclear deal in 2018 and reinstated and reinforced sweeping sanctions on Tehran.
In February, Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei urged the government not to negotiate with the US, citing Washington’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal.
‘Iran is not Ukraine’
On Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also sharply rebuked the Trump administration’s maximalist approach toward Iran, declaring that Iran is not Ukraine and it will not negotiate with the US under threats or coercion.
“We must maintain relationship with the world. We do not want to be estranged or quarrel with anyone, but that does not mean we will bow in humiliation before anyone,” Pezeshkian stated during a meeting of the Iran Entrepreneurs Forum in Tehran on Tuesday.
“We may die with honor, but we will never live in disgrace.”