China will gather this Thursday in Beijing to representatives of Russia and Iran to address the “Iranian nuclear issue”, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced. The appointment will be attended by the exterior vice ministers of both countries, at a time when the enrichment of uranium by Tehran generates increasing international concerns.
Ma Zhaoxu, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, will preside over the meeting, as confirmed by the Ministry spokeswoman, MAO NO, at a press conference held on Tuesday. This meeting occurs on the same day that the UN Security Council will hold a closed meeting in New York to treat the advance of the Iranian nuclear program and its growing accumulation of enriched uranium to levels close to the arms degree.
The relationship between Iran and Russia has been strengthened since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in 2022. In January, both countries signed a strategic cooperation treaty, consolidating their alliance on various fronts. China maintains solid links with both, and has expressed its support for Iran in the defense of its “legitimate rights”, while advocating an early resumption of nuclear negotiations.
Russia has had recent conversations about the Iranian nuclear program. Last week, Russian Vice Minister Serguéi Riabkov spoke with Iranian ambassador, Kazem Jalali, on international efforts to address the matter. According to previous information, Moscow would have provided contacts between Iran and the Donald Trump administration in the past to address this issue.
Iran has repeatedly denied that he seeks to develop a nuclear weapon. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (OIEA) has warned that the Islamic Republic is “dramatic” the enrichment of uranium until reaching a purity of 60%, about 90% necessary for military use.
The 2015 Nuclear Agreement, known as the Joint Integral Action Plan, was signed by Iran with the United Kingdom, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States. This pact eliminated Tehran sanctions in exchange for restrictions to its nuclear program. However, Washington retired in 2018 under Trump’s mandate, which led Iran to progressively move away from his commitments.
The looks are now put on the conversations that will take place in Beijing and in the possible steps to follow to resume the dialogue on the Iranian nuclear program in a scenario of growing tensions.
A maritime exercise in the Gulf of Oman
The Navy of China, Iran and Russia have concluded on Wednesday a series of joint maneuvers in the vicinity of the Iranian port of Chabahar, in the Gulf of Oman. During the exercises, participants simulated rescue operations of “kidnapped” commercial ships in order to strengthen their capabilities to deal with security threats.
According to the Chinese state press, the maneuvers included attacks on maritime objectives, approaches, control of damages and search and rescue operations. CCTV state television reported shots with real firefire of heavy machine guns and night shooting practices. Zhang Junsh, an expert in military affairs, stressed that the main objective of the exercise was the fight against maritime terrorism and piracy.
Baptized as ‘Security Ties 2025’, these exercises seek to “deepen mutual military trust and pragmatic cooperation” between the three countries, according to the Chinese Ministry of Defense. The Navy of the Chinese Liberation Army (EPL) sent the Baotou destroyer and the Gaoyouhu supply ship to participate in the operation. These maneuvers are celebrated annually and, in 2024, coincided with the climbing of tensions in the Red Sea due to the attacks of the Hutis rebels against US warships and the United Kingdom.
