Iran's
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a
meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia,
April 18, 2025. Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights
Iran's top diplomat to visit China on Tuesday
DUBAI,
April 21 (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will visit
China on Tuesday, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on
Monday, ahead of a third round of nuclear talks between Tehran and
Washington due on Saturday in Oman.
In a trip to Moscow last week, Araqchi told state TV that Tehran always closely consults with its friends, Russia and China, over the nuclear issue.
"It
is natural that we will consult and brief China over the latest
developments in Iran-U.S. indirect talks," Baghaei said, adding that
Beijing can play a constructive role in this process.
Long-time
foes Iran and the U.S. started negotiations earlier this month with the
aim of placing limits on Tehran's nuclear programme, which Western
powers say is geared toward developing nuclear weapons.
Tehran
has long denied such accusations and seeks in exchange the lifting of
U.S. sanctions that were re-imposed by President Donald Trump during his
first term in office (2017-2021), when he withdrew from a 2015 nuclear
pact between Iran and world powers, including China and Russia.
Since taking office in January, Trump has ratcheted pressure on Iran and has for the first time sanctioned Chinese "teapot" refineries
- small, independent plants - that process Iranian crude oil and have
provided an economic lifeline to Tehran's squeezed economy.
"The
policy of maximum pressure is not just against Iran but also other
countries and goes against freedom of trade. In the case of China,
sanctions also seek to disrupt south-south cooperation," Baghaei said.
Beijing accounted for at least 77% of Iran’s roughly 1.6 million bpd of exported crude
in 2024, according to analytics firm Kpler. The value of Iran's crude
sales to China is not officially disclosed, but a Reuters calculation
puts the trade at nearly $29 billion last year, assuming a 20% discount
to Brent crude prices to include the cost of logistics.
"China
and Iran have maintained exchanges and contacts at all levels and in
various fields. With regard to the specific visit mentioned, I have no
information to offer at the moment," Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday regarding Araqchi's upcoming
visit.
Reporting by Dubai Newsroom, Shi Bu in Beijing; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Sharon Singleton