In a recent development, officials from Iran convened with their Chinese and Russian counterparts to deliberate on the ongoing nuclear negotiations between Tehran and the Trump administration.
This meeting was held to align their positions before an impending hearing by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran's nuclear program.
According to The Washington Free Beacon, this summit is indicative of the strengthening ties between the adversaries of the United States. Earlier this month, Russian president Vladimir Putin agreed to extend a credit line to Iran, commence the construction of a new nuclear facility, and expand operations at an existing plant.
Mikhail Ulyanov, the Russian permanent representative to international organizations, found the discussion "very useful" in helping the three countries to closely "coordinate our positions." Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, confirmed his meeting with Chinese and Russian officials to discuss the negotiations. He stated, "In separate meetings with the ambassadors of Russia and China, we reviewed the development and strengthening of cooperation within the framework of these two important groups of countries."
However, Western nonproliferation experts are apprehensive that Iran, China, and Russia have devised plans to undermine the Trump administrations negotiating position. Andrea Stricker, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, expressed her concerns, stating,
"Russia and China are coordinating on how to cajole Trump into a weak Iran nuclear deal and helping Tehran evade consequences at an upcoming IAEA board meeting, which would include avoiding the U.S. and E3s [France, Germany, and the United Kingdom] restoration of U.N. Iran sanctions before their expiration in October. This is what friends do for their junior Axis of Aggressors member."
Russia and China, both members of the U.N. Security Council, have the potential to persuade the international body to abstain from reimposing the economic sanctions lifted as part of the original 2015 nuclear deal. This diplomatic influence enables Iran to adopt a firm stance in its negotiations with the United States.
Iran's foreign ministry underscored on Wednesday, just a day before the trilateral meeting, that the country will not relinquish its right to enrich uranium, the fuel that powers a nuclear bomb. "Continuing enrichment in Iran is an uncompromising principle," Iranian diplomatic spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said. This demand is currently the central obstacle in talks with the United States and could jeopardize the chances of securing a deal.
White House envoy Steve Witkoff emphasized, "We have one very, very clear red line, and that is enrichment. We cannot allow even 1 percent of an enrichment capability." Witkoff, along with State Department policy planning director Michael Anton, traveled to Rome last Friday for a fifth round of talks with Iran that seemed to make little progress.
In addition to the nuclear talks, Iran and Russia also engaged in other discussions this week. Ali Akbar Ahmadian, secretary of Irans Supreme National Security Council, met with Putin assistant Nikolai Patrushev. They discussed the "development of bilateral relations within the framework of the comprehensive strategic agreement between the two countries," as reported by Irans state-controlled press.
Iran and Russia also agreed to "significantly increase" their military cooperation this week, drawing substantially closer at a time when stringent U.S. economic sanctions are crippling both countries' economies. Russian security council secretary Sergei Shoigu pledged to enhance work with Tehran "in the military-technical field," Iranian media reported. This comes just months after the two countries signed a historic 20-year diplomatic pact.
Tehran and Moscow have increasingly relied on each other to create sanction-evasion networks meant to bypass tough American measures on both malign regimes.
For instance, Hamas, Tehrans chief terror proxy group, has primarily used weaponry built by Russia, China, and North Korea in its war against Israel. This development raises concerns about the strengthening ties between these countries and their potential impact on global security.
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