Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is scheduled to travel to China on Tuesday, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry. The visit comes in the lead-up to a fresh round of indirect nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

Speaking at a weekly press briefing on Monday, ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed the visit, which follows a previous trip Araghchi made to China in December. China had been one of the original parties to the 2015 nuclear deal that placed curbs on Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

Although Beijing has not officially confirmed the upcoming visit, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry noted that "China and Iran maintain exchanges and interactions at different levels and in different fields."

The 2015 accord, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was negotiated between Iran and six world powers: the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, along with the European Union. As Baqaei explained, "Consultations must continue with them." 

Strategic resilience

US President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the JCPOA and his subsequent maximum pressure campaign dealt a serious blow to regional stability and international trust in Washington's commitments. In response to Washington's violations, Iran began scaling back its own commitments, within its legal rights under the terms of the deal.

While Trump has made statements calling for renewed nuclear negotiations, he has simultaneously issued military threats, an approach Tehran views as contradictory and coercive.

Iran has consistently rejected accusations by Western powers that it seeks nuclear weapons, insisting that its nuclear program is peaceful and that such claims serve as political tools for pressure and control.

Read more: Trump moving to revive old nuclear deal in Iran talks: NYT

The upcoming third round of indirect US-Iran talks, facilitated by Oman and involving Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff, is scheduled for Saturday, according to Iranian officials.

Iran's economic resilience in the face of unjust sanctions has been largely supported by its partnership with China, its top trading partner and largest oil customer. Roughly 92 percent of Iranian oil exports are directed to China, often sold at favorable terms to maintain the flow of trade despite US restrictions.

In 2021, the two nations solidified their long-term cooperation with a landmark 25-year strategic agreement that spans energy, security, infrastructure, and communications, further cementing their shared vision for a multipolar world order grounded in sovereignty, mutual respect, and economic independence.