Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is scheduled to visit China ahead of the third round of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington on Tuesday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced. The visit highlighted ongoing diplomatic efforts to restore Iran’s nuclear program dialogue, a key signatory to the 2015 nuclear agreement called the Joint Integrated Action Plan (JCPOA).
The announcement was made by ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei at a weekly press conference on Monday. Although the Chinese Foreign Ministry did not confirm the visit during contact, China and Iran “maintain exchanges and interactions at different levels and fields.”
The 2015 JCPOA agreement aims to limit Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions, signed by the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, Germany and the European Union. Baqaei stressed that consultations with all original signatories must continue under the efforts to resolve the current diplomatic impasse.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the deal in 2018, causing Iran to expand its commitments under the agreement. Since he returned to office, Trump has been re-entering nuclear talks with Tehran, while warnings could have military consequences.
The upcoming U.S.-Iran talks, expected to be held on Saturday, will be mediated by Oman again. Araghchi will represent Iran, while Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to lead the U.S. delegation.
Despite persistent severe U.S. sanctions, Iran maintains strong economic ties with China, which remains its largest trading partner and major buyer of oil. According to Iranian media reports, nearly 92% of Iran’s oil exports are targeted at China and are usually sold at a discount.
In 2021, Iran and China signed a 25-year strategic cooperation agreement covering various sectors including energy, infrastructure, security and telecommunications, and further consolidated its bilateral relations amid Western pressure on Tehran.
