Latest news with #SecurityBelt-2025
South China Morning Post
12-03-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
China to host Russia and Iran for nuclear talks as Trump tries to make a deal on weapons
China will host high-level talks with Russia and Iran in Beijing this week to address Tehran's nuclear programme. Advertisement Chinese foreign vice-minister Ma Zhaoxu will chair the trilateral meeting on Friday, joined by Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov and Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi. The delegates would exchange views on Iran's nuclear activities and regional security issues, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday. 03:26 China's top diplomat Wang Yi lays out directions for country's foreign policies China's top diplomat Wang Yi lays out directions for country's foreign policies China is deepening strategic ties with Russia and Iran, with all three countries taking part in the ' Security Belt-2025 ' naval drills this week. The Chinese naval fleet arrived in the waters near Iran's Chabahar Port and completed the naval assembly with the Iranian and Russian navies on Sunday morning, marking the beginning of the joint exercise. Beijing's defence ministry described the joint exercises, which end on Thursday, as aimed at boosting military trust and featuring simulated maritime attacks, search-and-rescue operations and intercept drills. Advertisement
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
China to host Russia and Iran for nuclear talks amid Trump's bid to make a deal on weapons
China will host high-level talks with Russia and Iran in Beijing this week to address Tehran's nuclear programme amid growing international concerns and heightened regional tensions. China's foreign vice-minister Ma Zhaoxu will chair the trilateral meeting on Friday, joined by Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov and Iran's deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi. The delegates will exchange views on Iran's nuclear activities and regional security issues, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said during a press briefing on Wednesday. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. The talks coincide with China deepening strategic ties with Russia and Iran, highlighted by planned naval drills named "Security Belt-2025". The Chinese naval fleet arrived in the waters near Iran's Chabahar Port and completed the naval assembly with the Iranian and Russian navies on Sunday morning, marking the beginning of the joint exercise. Beijing's defence ministry described the joint exercises, which end on Thursday, as aimed at boosting military trust and featuring simulated maritime attacks, search-and-rescue operations and intercept drills. This military cooperation occurs alongside diplomatic overtures by US President Donald Trump, who recently sought to revive direct nuclear negotiations with Iran. Trump last week said he had sent a personal letter to Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging renewed talks and advocating a diplomatic solution. "We're down to final strokes with Iran," Trump said, stressing his desire to achieve a peace agreement rather than confrontation. Tehran, however, dismissed Trump's initiative as a "repetitive show", reflecting continued deep mistrust towards Washington. Iran has, however, indicated a conditional willingness to discuss its nuclear programme after Trump proposed reducing nuclear stockpiles. According to a statement on Sunday, Tehran's UN mission said talks could proceed if limited to military aspects. It appeared cautiously open despite Khamenei's previous strong rejections. Trump's outreach aligns with his broader goal of denuclearisation, as he seeks to engage both Russia and China in discussions to substantially reduce nuclear arsenals and defence budgets. He highlighted an ambition to halve military spending, questioning the rationale behind continued nuclear arms development. "There's no reason for us to be building brand new nuclear weapons," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office last month and pointing out that existing arsenals could already "destroy the world 50 times over, 100 times over". China's foreign vice-minister Ma Zhaoxu will chair the trilateral meeting on Friday. Photo: Reuters alt=China's foreign vice-minister Ma Zhaoxu will chair the trilateral meeting on Friday. Photo: Reuters> Yet previous US attempts to involve China in nuclear arms reduction have consistently met resistance from Beijing. China maintains that the US and Russia must first significantly downsize their much larger nuclear stockpiles. During his first presidential term, Trump unsuccessfully tried to include China in nuclear arms reduction talks linked to the US-Russian New START treaty extension. The strengthening strategic partnership among China, Russia and Iran has come under growing Western scrutiny as the major powers compete for influence in the Middle East. Russia previously offered mediation between Washington and Tehran despite strained US-Russia relations over Ukraine. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2025. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
South China Morning Post
12-03-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
China to host Russia and Iran for nuclear talks amid Trump's bid to make a deal on weapons
China will host high-level talks with Russia and Iran in Beijing this week to address Tehran's nuclear programme amid growing international concerns and heightened regional tensions. Advertisement China's foreign vice-minister Ma Zhaoxu will chair the trilateral meeting on Friday, joined by Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov and Iran's deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi. The delegates will exchange views on Iran's nuclear activities and regional security issues, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said during a press briefing on Wednesday. 03:26 China's top diplomat Wang Yi lays out directions for country's foreign policies China's top diplomat Wang Yi lays out directions for country's foreign policies The talks coincide with China deepening strategic ties with Russia and Iran, highlighted by planned naval drills named ' Security Belt-2025 ' in the Gulf of Oman later this month. Beijing's defence ministry described the joint exercises as aimed at boosting military trust and featuring simulated maritime attacks, search-and-rescue operations and intercept drills. This military cooperation occurs alongside diplomatic overtures by US President Donald Trump, who recently sought to revive direct nuclear negotiations with Iran. Trump last week said he had sent a personal letter to Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging renewed talks and advocating a diplomatic solution. 'We're down to final strokes with Iran,' Trump said, stressing his desire to achieve a peace agreement rather than confrontation. Tehran, however, dismissed Trump's initiative as a 'repetitive show', reflecting continued deep mistrust towards Washington. Advertisement Iran has, however, indicated a conditional willingness to discuss its nuclear programme after Trump proposed reducing nuclear stockpiles. According to a statement on Sunday, Tehran's UN mission said talks could proceed if limited to military aspects. It appeared cautiously open despite Khamenei's previous strong rejections.
Express Tribune
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Beijing to host key nuclear talks between China, Russia and Iran
Listen to article China will host talks in Beijing on Friday with Russia and Iran to discuss the Iranian nuclear issue, according to a statement from China's Foreign Ministry. The meeting will see the participation of Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu chairing the discussions. The timing of the meeting coincides with a closed-door session at the United Nations Security Council in New York on Iran's nuclear programme, which has raised growing concerns over Tehran's uranium enrichment activities. This meeting comes as tensions surrounding Iran's nuclear ambitions continue to escalate. Iran's stockpiles of uranium have reportedly reached levels nearing weapons-grade purity, which has raised alarms internationally. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has flagged the 'dramatic' acceleration in Iran's uranium enrichment, which is now approaching 60% purity – well above the 3.67% limit set in the 2015 nuclear agreement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). China, which has long backed Tehran's stance on nuclear rights, has expressed its support for the resumption of the nuclear talks. The meeting will provide an opportunity for all parties to exchange views on ways to address the situation. The US's withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018, during President Donald Trump's administration, left the deal in disarray. Since then, Iran has gradually reduced its commitments to the deal, a move that has stoked further tensions in the region. Earlier, President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would not negotiate with the US while being threatened, telling President Donald Trump to "do whatever the hell you want", Iranian state media reported on Tuesday. "It is unacceptable for us that they (the US) give orders and make threats. I won't even negotiate with you. Do whatever the hell you want", state media quoted Pezeshkian as saying. 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. Previously warships from Iran, China, and Russia began their annual joint naval drills in the Gulf of Oman, underscoring the strengthening military ties between the three nations. The exercises, dubbed "Security Belt-2025," are being held near the Iranian port of Chabahar and mark the fifth such drill since 2019, according to Chinese state media.
Express Tribune
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Russia, China and Iran strengthen military ties with annual naval exercises
Warships attend a joint naval exercise of the Iranian, Chinese and Russian navies in the northern Indian Ocean, during their exercises in 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS Warships from Iran, China, and Russia began their annual joint naval drills in the Gulf of Oman on Monday, underscoring the strengthening military ties between the three nations. The exercises, dubbed "Security Belt-2025," are being held near the Iranian port of Chabahar and mark the fifth such drill since 2019, according to Chinese state media. The joint military exercise comes at a time of heightened tensions in global geopolitics, particularly as US President Donald Trump disrupts traditional Western alliances. The drills are seen as a show of solidarity among the three authoritarian powers, which aim to counterbalance U.S. influence and challenge the Western-led global order. The drills, which are being closely watched by the West, include a variety of military operations designed to enhance cooperation and demonstrate military strength. These include simulated strikes on maritime targets, visit-board-search-seizure operations, and search and rescue drills. Russia's defense ministry reported that the exercise involves 15 combat ships, support vessels, gunboats, and helicopters. China has deployed the Type 052D guided-missile destroyer Baotou and supply ship Gaoyouhu, while Iran has sent a stealth missile corvette and a patrol ship. While the exercise has sparked concern in Washington, US President Trump has downplayed the significance of the show of force. In an interview on Sunday, Trump said, "We're stronger than all of them. We have more power than all of them," brushing aside concerns about the growing military collaboration between Iran, China, and Russia. The increased cooperation between the three countries, alongside their shared animosity toward the US, has raised alarms about the possibility of a broader strategic alliance. Washington lawmakers have referred to this growing bloc as an "axis of authoritarianism," and have expressed concern that this partnership could amplify the global threat posed by these nations. The drills also come amid heightened tensions between the US and Iran, particularly as Trump has reinvigorated his "maximum pressure" campaign on Tehran, aiming to cut Iran's oil exports and halt its nuclear ambitions. Meanwhile, Russia and North Korea have deepened their military ties, with the two countries signing a mutual defense agreement and North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine. The Gulf of Oman, where the drills are taking place, is a vital shipping lane connecting the Indian Ocean with the Strait of Hormuz, through which more than one-quarter of the world's seaborne oil passes. The US maintains a significant naval presence in the region through its Fifth Fleet, which is based in nearby Bahrain.
