China urged an end to "illegal" sanctions on Iran as it hosted diplomats from that country and Russia on Friday for talks Beijing hopes will restart long-stalled negotiations on Tehran's nuclear programme.

Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi held their meeting in Beijing.

A readout of the talks by CCTV said the three diplomats "exchanged views on the Iran nuclear issue and other issues of common concern".

Ma expressed China's support for "political and diplomatic engagement and dialogue based on mutual respect" after the meeting.

"We emphasised the necessity of ending all illegal, unilateral sanctions," Ma told reporters.

"The relevant parties should work to eliminate the root causes of the current situation and abandon sanctions, pressure, and threats of the use of force."

In a joint statement, the three countries reaffirmed that political and diplomatic engagement and dialogue remains the only viable and practical option for the Iranian nuclear issue.

The United States withdrew from the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which had imposed curbs on Tehran's nuclear development in return for sanctions relief, during US President Donald Trump's first term.

Tehran adhered to the agreement for a year after Washington's withdrawal but then began rolling back its commitments. Efforts to revive the pact have since faltered.

Trump recently sent a letter to Tehran urging nuclear talks, warning of possible military action if it refuses.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded that he would not negotiate with the US while being "threatened", and Iran would not bow to US "orders" to talk.

Iran has long denied that it is working on developing a nuclear weapon. But the International Atomic Energy Agency warned last month that Tehran was "dramatically" accelerating enrichment of uranium to near the roughly 90 percent weapons-grade level. (AFP/Reuters)
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Last updated: 2025-03-14 HKT 17:11