On Friday, representatives from China, Russia and Iran urged the United States to lift sanctions imposed on Iran due to its fast-developing nuclear program. They also called for the resumption of multinational talks on the issue. This meeting followed U.S. President Donald Trump's letter to Iran's supreme leader, aimed at restarting discussions.

The letter, which has not been made public, was presented as Trump imposed new sanctions on Iran. This move is part of his "maximum pressure" campaign, which keeps the option of military action open while expressing his belief that a new agreement is still possible. China, Russia, and Iran have stressed the need to end all illegal unilateral sanctions, according to a joint statement read by China's Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu. He was accompanied by Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergey Alexeevich and Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi. “The three countries reiterated that political and diplomatic engagement and dialogue based on the principle of mutual respect remains the only viable and practical option in this regard,” Ma said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaffirmed China's dedication to achieving a peaceful resolution and voiced opposition to what he described as "illegal" sanctions, according to China's official Xinhua News Agency. Wang also emphasised that China continues to support the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear agreement involving Iran and six major nations — the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany — describing it as the foundation for building new consensus. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, criticised former U.S. President Donald Trump, stating he had no interest in negotiating with a "bullying government." Despite this, Iranian officials have sent mixed signals about the possibility of talks. In 2019, Trump sent a letter to Khamenei, but it had little impact on easing rising tensions.

China and Russia, both permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, were involved in the initial 2015 Iran nuclear deal framework alongside France and Britain. However, Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement in 2018, which escalated tensions across the Middle East. China and Russia maintain strong ties with Iran, particularly through energy partnerships, and Iran has supplied Russia with bomb-carrying drones for its war in Ukraine. Both nations are believed to share a common goal of reducing the influence of the U.S. and other liberal democracies in global affairs, instead promoting their own authoritarian systems.

Iran claims its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. However, its officials have increasingly hinted at the possibility of developing a nuclear weapon. Currently, Iran is enriching uranium to nearly 60% purity, a level close to weapons-grade material — making it the only country without a declared nuclear weapons program to do so.

Under the original 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran was restricted to enriching uranium up to 3.67% purity and could only keep a maximum of 300 kilograms (661 pounds) of uranium. However, the latest report from the International Atomic Energy Agency revealed that Iran's uranium stockpile has now reached 8,294.4 kilograms (18,286 pounds), with a portion of it enriched to 60% purity. Despite facing severe economic hardship due to U.S. sanctions, Iran has refused to engage in negotiations under pressure. Meanwhile, protests in recent years over issues like women's rights, economic struggles and Iran's theocratic rule have added to the country's internal unrest. China has increased its involvement in Middle Eastern affairs and played a key role in hosting talks last year that resulted in Saudi Arabia and Iran fully restoring their diplomatic ties.