Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri called on China and other countries friendly with Iran to buy more Iranian oil, the oil ministry's news website SHANA reported.

"Even though we are aware that friendly countries such as China are facing some restrictions, we expect them to be more active in buying Iranian oil," SHANA quoted Jahangiri as telling visiting senior Chinese diplomat Song Tao on Monday.

Meanwhile, an emergency meeting with parties to Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal was held in Vienna.

Parties to the agreement – Britain, Germany and France plus Russia and China – met Iranian officials for talks called in response to an escalation in tensions between Iran and the West that included confrontations at sea and Tehran’s breaches of the nuclear accord.

Abbas Araqchi, the senior Iranian nuclear negotiator, told reporters after the meeting: "The atmosphere was constructive. Discussions were good. I cannot say that we resolved everything, I can say there are lots of commitments."

But Araqchi said Iran will continue to reduce its nuclear commitments if Europeans fails to salvage the pact.

The parties have been trying to save the pact since the United States withdrew from it in May 2018 and re-imposed and toughened sanctions on Iran, crippling an already weak economy.

The Europeans say further breaches of the agreement by Iran would escalate confrontation at a time when Tehran and Washington are at risk of a miscalculation that could lead to war.

Fu Cong, director general of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, who led the Chinese delegation, said: "All sides have expressed their commitment to safeguard the JCPOA (nuclear deal) and to continue to implement the JCPOA in a balanced manner."

"All sides have expressed their strong opposition against the U.S. unilateral imposition of sanctions."

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On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the U.S. is the "root cause" of the heightened tension in the region.

"The Iranian issue led to the recent escalation of tensions in the Middle East, and the root cause is nothing more than the U.S. unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction," Hua said, adding that China has emphasized this position numerous times. 

China is concerned with the tension and has called on relevant parties to act with restraint, Hua said.

China will step up coordination and cooperation with regional countries and play a positive and constructive role for peace in the region, she added.

(Cover: An anti-U.S. mural in Ferdowsi Square, Tehran, Iran, July 6, 2019. /Reuters Photo)

(With input from Reuters)