Pezeshkian calls for concerted efforts to fight off unilateralism
China honors Iran’s right to nuclear energy, nixes coercive measures: Xi
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, urging the need to stand up to oppression, aggression, and unilateralism.
“Iran seeks a world where the rule of law and relations between nations are based on equality, not on force, coercion, or violations,” he said.
Pezeshkian said Washington was pursuing unilateral policies without restraint, accusing the US president Donald Trump of giving himself a free hand to intervene in countries across the globe.
The high-level meeting took place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit 2025, against the backdrop of heightened tensions between Tehran and the West over Iran’s nuclear program. In June, Israel launched strikes against Iranian targets, sparking a 12-day conflict in which the United States also hit nuclear sites. More recently, the UK, France, and Germany triggered the UN “snapback” mechanism to restore sanctions on Iran, a move opposed by China and Russia.
Xi condemned the strikes on Iran as a blatant violation of international law, stressing that “force is never the way to solve problems.”
He said Beijing respects Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy, noting China values Tehran’s commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons.
“China will continue to uphold fairness and justice … and back political negotiations as the path forward,” Xi said, adding that Beijing is determined to help shape a solution to the nuclear issue that takes all sides’ concerns into account.
Pezeshkian, further described China as Iran’s “comprehensive strategic partner,” vowing to deepen ties regardless of global shifts. Xi echoed the sentiment, highlighting that despite years of Western sanctions, the two countries have managed to keep their partnership alive and are now ready to expand it on a “win-win” basis.
In an earlier interview with China Central Television (CCTV), Pezeshkian slammed Europe’s snapback move as a “double standard,” saying those who broke the 2015 nuclear deal now blame Iran for non-compliance. He stressed the importance of rallying states aligned with China in resisting unilateralism and not letting Western pressure or sanctions knock them off course.
On the same day, Pezeshkian also held talks with Wang Huning, a senior member of China’s Communist Party leadership, and a day earlier he met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the SCO sidelines. Pezeshkian told Putin that Washington and its allies were bent on entrenching unilateralism, stressing that bodies like the SCO offered a platform to promote multilateralism. Putin underlined ongoing Moscow-Tehran cooperation, including on Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities.