China sought an end to “illegal” sanctions against Iran as it met Iranian and Russian officials on Friday for negotiations Beijing hopes would resume long-stalled on Tehran’s nuclear program.
During US President Donald Trump’s first term, the US withdrew from a historic 2015 agreement imposing restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear development in return for sanctions relief.
Since his return to the White House in January, the Republican president has demanded a fresh nuclear deal with Iran; Tehran argues no such agreement is feasible so long as harsh sanctions remain in place.
Last month, the UN nuclear watchdog’s announcement that Iran had greatly raised its stockpile of highly enriched uranium gave the endeavor to negotiate fresh urgency. Beijing had hosted
