By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BEIJING (Worthy News) – The United States faces a setback in attempts to build new relations with Russia after Moscow and Beijing called for an end to the “unlawful sanctions” imposed on Iran.
Russia, China, and Iran expanded their cooperation over the weekend despite growing U.S. concern over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Senior diplomats from the three countries met in Beijing for a discussion on Tehran’s nuclear program after the West stepped up pressure on Iran, saying the Islamic Republic is “inching closer” to making a nuclear bomb.
Yet on Friday, China’s Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, and Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi disagreed with Western sanctions and concerns.
In a joint statement, they emphasized the “necessity of terminating all unlawful unilateral sanctions,” seemingly referring to U.S. and other Western economic penalties imposed on Iran’s imports and exports to prevent the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
They urged all “relevant parties to refrain from taking any action that would escalate the situation” and undermine diplomatic efforts, adding that dialogue should be based on “mutual respect.”
NUMEROUS DRONES
Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful despite enriching uranium to what experts call “near weapons-grade level.”
Russia, which has received numerous drones from Iran for its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, said it believes Tehran’s peaceful nuclear intentions.
“The Iranian side has never said a single word about intending to obtain nuclear weapons,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov argued in a separate statement. “In this respect, of course, all sanctions and restrictions are, in our view, illegal.”
Peskov stressed, “We believe that our Iranian friends have the right to develop a peaceful nuclear energy industry in their country. Russia is actively involved in this and is assisting our Iranian friends in this regard.”
Russia and China also praised Iran’s purported commitment to comply with its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Safeguards Agreement to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
After their meeting, Beijing and Moscow emphasized Tehran’s right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy should be “fully” respected.
‘ILLEGAL SANCTIONS’
On Thursday, Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, accused Western countries of spreading “false information” about Tehran’s nuclear program to impose “illegal sanctions” that have deprived Iran of essential medical supplies and restricted its exports.
“Despite these facts, certain Western countries, particularly the United States, Britain, France, and Germany, have persistently sought to create a false narrative about Iran’s nuclear activities, alleging non-cooperation [with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear watchdog] and military ambitions,” Iravani added.
Iran reached an agreement with the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany in 2015 to curb its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of Western sanctions.
However, Donald J. Trump pulled out of the deal in 2018 during his first term as president, saying Tehran could not be trusted.
The Russia-China-Iran meeting came at a time of escalating armed conflict in the Middle East, where Israel has also expressed concerns about Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.
While some analysts said the West should not be “scared of the Beijing talks,” the gathering came as a warning to the U.S. and its allies, according to a Worthy News assessment.
The Trump administration has made clear it wants to improve ties with Russia by ending the war in Ukraine and moving Moscow away from its reliance on China through economic and diplomatic means. Washington views China and Iran as a significant threat to the United States and its allies.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
A Christian widow in Pakistan’s Punjab province is devastated after her married daughter went missing, while elsewhere in the region, a mother of four and a mother of six have also disappeared following alleged abductions by Muslim men, Worthy News learned Saturday.
South Korea, long seen as the democratic opposite of its authoritarian-ruled northern neighbor, faces growing scrutiny for what critics call a widening crackdown on Christian leaders and churches.
Hungary’s prime minister told U.S. President Donald J. Trump on Friday that it would take a miracle for Ukraine to win the war against Russia. Viktor Orbán made the remarks at the White House, where Trump asked him during a joint news conference about the prospects for Kyiv’s victory.
Hungarian prosecutors have requested a two-year suspended prison sentence for Gábor Iványi, a 76-year-old Methodist pastor, once a close confidant of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and several opposition politicians, in a case widely viewed as politically charged.
In a decision that could reshape federal identification standards, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Trump administration to enforce its policy requiring Americans to list their biological sex–male or female–on passports, rather than self-identified gender.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R–S.D.) told Republican senators Thursday to prepare for a critical Friday vote aimed at ending the nation’s longest-ever government shutdown — now in its sixth week — as lawmakers scramble to reach a deal amid growing economic strain and partisan stalemate.
The Senate on Thursday narrowly rejected a Democratic resolution that would have required President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval before taking military action against Venezuela, marking the second failed attempt in as many months to rein in the administration’s campaign targeting Venezuelan drug-trafficking vessels.