Senior diplomats from Iran, Russia, and China gathered in Beijing on Friday for talks on Tehran's nuclear issues, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported, days after Iran rejected US "orders" to resume dialog over the Iranian nuclear program.
In 2015, Iran reached a deal with the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany and agreed to limit its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. However, in 2018, Donald Trump, a year into his first term at the White House, pulled out of the pact.
Last week, Trump said he had sent a letter to the Iranian leadership suggesting talks with the Islamic Republic, which the West fears is rapidly approaching the capability to make atomic weapons. However, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he would not negotiate with the US while being "threatened" and that Iran would not bow to US "orders" to talk.