China and Iran call for the lifting of Iran sanctions; Xi to visit

• The leaders urged the execution of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.
• Xi accepted Raisi’s invitation to visit Iran.
• President Joe Biden stated in 2021 that the US would return to the accord if Iran returned to compliance.

China‘s President Xi Jinping and his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, both called for the removal of sanctions against Iran as part of a delayed international accord on its nuclear program on Thursday.

Xi also accepted Raisi‘s invitation to visit Iran, which he will do at his leisure, the two leaders said in a joint statement on the last day of Raisi’s three-day state visit to China.

The leaders urged the execution of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, under which Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program in exchange for economic sanctions relief from numerous nations, including the United States.

However, in 2018, then-US President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the agreement and ordered the reimposition of US sanctions on Iran.

President Joe Biden stated in 2021 that the US would return to the accord if Iran returned to compliance, but negotiations have stagnated.

“All relevant sanctions should be fully lifted in a verifiable manner to promote the full and effective implementation,” Xi and Raisi said.

China and Iran emphasized that easing sanctions and providing economic advantages to Iran were critical components of the accord.

On Tuesday, Xi informed Raisi that China would “participate constructively” in talks to resume implementation of the agreement, while also expressing his support for Iran’s rights and interests.

“China firmly opposes interference by external forces in Iran’s internal affairs and undermining Iran’s security and stability,” the leaders said in the statement.

The two leaders also devised a number of projects, including those to promote e-commerce and agriculture.

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