China, Iran and Russia called for diplomacy over “pressure and threats” and an end to “all illegal unilateral sanctions” following talks on Tehran’s nuclear program Friday in Beijing, Chinese state media said.

Beijing sought to position itself as a key player in negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, as President Trump called for talks with Tehran.

China and Russia stood by Iran on Friday after the United States demanded nuclear talks with Tehran, with senior Chinese and Russian diplomats saying dialogue should only resume based on "mutual respect" and all sanctions ought to be lifted.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that Tehran would not be bullied into negotiations, a day after Trump said he had sent a letter urging Iran to engage in talks on a new nuclear deal. Asked if Moscow had consulted with Tehran before or after Trump's letter, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters:

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China, Russia and Iran called for an end to sanctions in nuclear talks hosted by Beijing, days after Tehran spurned US President Donald Trump’s call for negotiations.

The trilateral meeting in Beijing came after Donald Trump wrote to Iran’s supreme leader aiming to restart negotiations over the nuclear issue.View on euronews