Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator
Diplomats from China, Russia and Iran met in Beijing today demonstrating support for Iran. Today’s meeting involved China's Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.
Following the talks, Ma stressed China's support for "political and diplomatic engagement and dialogue based on mutual respect."
He added that the relevant parties should address the root causes while abandoning sanctions, pressure, or threat of force.
China-Russia-Iran ties
Both China and Russia enjoy close relations with Iran following various energy resource deals, and all three countries are fellow members of the BRICS alliance.
A point statement by China’s Ma called for termination of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.
The Trump letter
Last week, US President Donald Trump sent a threatening letter to Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proposing nuclear talks.
In an interview with Fox Business Network broadcast, Trump said "there are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal".
Trump wrote a book, "The Art of the Deal", but seemingly has not recognized that deals on the international political stage should begin with negotiations while demonstrating mutual respect between all parties.
Trump has said his goal is to end US involvement in foreign wars. Trump recognizes Israel as the most important ally in the Middle East, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been insistent that Iran should be attacked militarily. Even during the fiercest fighting in the Israel-Hamas war, and the Israeli attack on Hezbollah, Netanyahu was hinting at a major attack on Iran.
Netanyahu knows he could not carry out such an attack without direct US involvement. Trump is aware of Netanyahu's plans but wants to avoid any new US-Israeli military projects. Trump wants to make a new deal with Iran to ease tensions in the Middle East but is using scare tactics to get the negotiations started.
Trump has a working relationship with Russian President Putin, and both are involved in seeking an end to the Ukraine war. China and Russia also have close ties, so it seems natural to exploit those relationships while seeking to achieve a deal between the US and Iran.
China’s past success
On March 10, 2023, China brokered a normalization agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The deal called for the reestablishment of normal relations between the two countries following seven years of severed ties.
The China-sponsored agreement was a very significant achievement. There had been rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, but the talks guided by China were successful is defusing a potential crisis.
Riyadh and Tehran were longstanding rivals. Riyadh felt its security was threatened by Iran, and Iran felt the Kingdom was too close to foreign powers which destabilized the region.
As a major power, China’s role in the swift success of the deal was due to providing assurances to both sides as they began to build trust.
During the negotiations, the director of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee, Wang Yi, asked both sides to respect the principles of sovereignty and non-interference in the other’s internal affairs.
China’s role as the broker was more than Beijing simply positioning itself as increasingly influential in regional politics and firming up its economic links. China is a significant buyer of Iranian oil, and in March 2021, it signed a 25-year economic cooperation agreement with Tehran.
China is also Saudi Arabia’s primary trading partner, and is in the region to stay. The deal sent a message that China is pursuing power projection in the Middle East outside of economics as Beijing aspires to become an alternative to the West as a conflict mediator.
The deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran proves that China is a successful peacemaker, and can resolve conflicts through mediation and dialogue, as opposed to America’s strong-arm tactics.
What was the first Iran deal?
China, along with France, Germany, Russia, the UK, the EU, and the US signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran in 2015. The deal was to limit Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Iran agreed to limit its uranium enrichment to 3.67 per cent purity, a level suitable for civilian nuclear power generation but far below the 90 per cent enrichment needed for weapons-grade uranium under the deal.
Why did Trump pull out of the deal?
On May 8, 2018 Trump announced the US withdrawal of the Iran nuclear deal. Trump reversed many of the key accomplishments of President Barack Obama.
Trump pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Paris Agreement on climate change, as well as other Obama legacy achievements as he attempted to discredit his predecessor’s legacy.
In March 2016, while campaigning for office, he told an audience at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) annual conference that his first priority was to dismantle the deal with Iran. AIPAC wields strong influence in US elections. Trump started citing evidence against the Iran nuclear deal which had been presented by Netanyahu.
Why does Trump want a new Iran deal?
The time is right for Trump to seek a new Iran nuclear deal. Iran is in a weakened position and may be more likely to accept negotiations with the US. Iran’s regional proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, are diminished militarily after Israeli military actions. President Bashar Assad was overthrown on December 8, and Iran has lost its foothold and influence in Syria.
A report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently disclosed that Iran's enriched uranium stockpile has reached more than 27 times the allowable limit, with quantities enriched up to 60 per cent, approaching weapons-grade levels. This disclosure may be the reason Trump sent the letter to Iran suggesting new talks.
Steven Sahiounie is a two-time award-winning journalist