China, Russia, and Iran Unite Against US Sanctions

China, Russia, and Iran have jointly called for an end to Washington's "illegal, unilateral sanctions" on Tehran, following three-party talks on the Iranian nuclear issue in Beijing on March 14. The meeting, which included Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, emphasized the necessity of lifting sanctions and promoting diplomacy.

According to Ma Zhaoxu, "We conducted in-depth exchanges of views on the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions. We emphasized the necessity of ending all illegal unilateral sanctions." The three nations also stressed the importance of eliminating the root causes of the current situation and abandoning sanctions, pressure, and threats of force.

However, a leading sanctions expert, Richard Nephew, believes that lifting sanctions as a precursor to negotiations is neither likely nor advisable. Nephew, who was part of the US negotiating team that clinched a landmark nuclear deal with Iran in 2015, stated, “I don't think there's any likelihood the Trump administration is going to drop sanctions against Iran just to talk. I wouldn't advise him to.”

The Iranian position remains that it will not negotiate with the US as long as the "maximum pressure" campaign is in force and sanctions are in place. Meanwhile, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed the Iranian and Russian diplomats ahead of the meeting and was set to have his own meeting with them later in the day.

The US has been actively involved in the ongoing discussions, with President Donald Trump sending a letter to Iran urging a resumption of nuclear talks and warning of possible military action if Iran refused. However, Iran's Foreign Ministry stated that it would conduct a "thorough assessment" before responding to Trump's letter.

The situation has been further complicated by the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, which had imposed curbs on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Since then, Tehran has expanded its nuclear program, and efforts to reach a new accord through indirect talks have failed.

The foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations have labeled Iran the "principal source of regional instability" and urged Tehran to abandon its nuclear ambitions and pursue diplomacy. The US has also imposed new sanctions on Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad and several Hong Kong-flagged ships involved in delivering Iranian oil to China.

In a show of force, China, Russia, and Iran conducted naval drills in the Gulf of Oman near the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The drills, which included Iranian vessels stopping at Chabahar Port, highlighted the growing military cooperation between the three nations.