Iran, China, and Russia meet at a summit to define a nuclear alliance

China will organize a meeting on Friday in Beijing about the "Iranian nuclear issue" with Russia and Iran, according to its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The deputy foreign ministers of both countries will attend the meeting, which will be chaired by Ma Zhaoxu, China's Deputy Foreign Minister. This meeting takes place after a closed session of the UN Security Council in New York, which will address Iran's growing uranium stockpile, which is worryingly approaching the level of purity necessary for the manufacture of nuclear weapons.

Since the intensification of the war in Ukraine in 2022, relations between Iran and Russia have improved, culminating in the signing of a strategic cooperation treaty in January 2023.

Both countries also maintain close relations with China, which has been a firm defender of Iran's rights to develop nuclear technology for "peaceful" purposes.

In this context, China has urged the resumption of negotiations on the Iranian nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The JCPOA, signed in 2015 between Iran and six world powers (United Kingdom, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States), allowed the lifting of sanctions in exchange for limitations on Iran's nuclear program.

However, in 2018, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the agreement under the administration of Donald Trump, leading Iran to progressively distance itself from its nuclear commitments.

In response, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned that Iran is accelerating its uranium enrichment to levels close to nuclear weapons (approximately 90% purity), a concern that has caused international alarm.

Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, confirmed that his country will hold a trilateral summit with China and Russia on Friday to discuss these nuclear issues.

Araghchi also reiterated Iran's willingness to resume negotiations on the JCPOA, even with the United States, despite its withdrawal from the agreement. He also emphasized that Iran is a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and that its nuclear program follows a framework of international commitments, although it is advancing at an increasing pace.

Meanwhile, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, discussed the situation with the Iranian ambassador, Kazem Jalali, last week, noting international efforts to address Iran's nuclear program.

In these dialogues, the assistance that Russia had provided to Donald Trump's administration to facilitate communications with Iran was also mentioned.

Although Iran has repeatedly denied its intentions to develop nuclear weapons, the situation remains doubtful due to the acceleration of its uranium enrichment and the concerns of the international community.