Europe
Live updates: Trump presidency news, tariffs deadline shift, Zelensky slammed over peace talks
Iran’s top diplomat briefed his Chinese counterpart on the status of indirect talks with US officials over his country’s nuclear program during a visit to Beijing, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Ahead of a third round of indirect negotiations scheduled for the weekend, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi thanked Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for Beijing’s “constructive and effective policy on Iran’s nuclear issue and sanctions removal,” the Iranian ministry said on Wednesday.
Wang said Iran had a right to “the peaceful use of nuclear energy,” and expressed China’s appreciation for Iran’s commitment to not developing nuclear weapons, according to Chinese state media.
China is “committed to a political and diplomatic resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue and opposes the abuse of force and illegal unilateral sanctions,” Wang said.
US and Iranian officials expressed optimism following a second round of nuclear talks held in Rome on Saturday, but the two sides remain far apart in negotiations, especially on one issue in which they appear to have a fundamental disagreement.
Washington wants Iran to stop production of highly enriched uranium, which it believes is aimed at building an atomic bomb. Iran this week reiterated its right to enrich uranium but has suggested it is willing to negotiate some compromises in return for sanctions relief to ease the pressure on its hard-hit economy.
US President Donald Trump’s Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff is due to attend a third round of talks in Oman on Saturday.