China, Iran committed to nuclear deal signed in 2015, say foreign ministers

After a meeting with Iranian foreign minister Javid Zarif in Tehran, his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi has proposed a new forum to dilute tensions in the Middle East, news agency AFP reported.

According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Wang and Zarif also reaffirmed their commitment to the nuclear deal singed in 2015, involving Iran and world powers. This is being seen as an implicit rebuke of the United States, who abandoned the accord at a meeting in China’s southwestern Tengchong city on Saturday.

The Chinese foreign minister reassured Beijing’s support for Tehran.

Also Read | Vladimir Putin invites Armenia, Azerbaijan foreign ministers for peace talks

Iran has been locked in an acrimonious relationship with Saudi Arabia, the other major Middle Eastern power, over the war in Yemen, Iranian influence in Iraq and Saudi support for Washington’s sanctions on Tehran.

“China proposes to build a regional multilateral dialogue platform with equal participation of all stakeholders,” said the Chinese foreign ministry statement.

The forum would “enhance mutual understanding through dialogue and explore political and diplomatic solutions to security issues in the Middle East”, the statement added.

Wang added that support for the Iranian nuclear deal, negotiated by the Obama administration but ultimately abandoned by Donald Trump, would be a precondition of entry to the forum.

Also Read | North Korea displays a gigantic new ballistic missile at military parade

Zarif said on Twitter his “fruitful talks” with Wang amounted to a rejection of “US unilateralism” and had also focused on strategic ties and collaboration on the development of a coronavirus vaccine