Chinese envoy: U.S. instigated Iran nuclear crisis, undermined negotiation

A senior Chinese diplomat said on Wednesday that the United States, as the instigator of the Iran nuclear crisis, has undermined the negotiation process it initiated earlier this year with Iran, once again causing the nuclear issue to fall into deadlock and escalating the regional situation sharply.

Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks at an open meeting held by the UN Security Council in New York.

Fu said China firmly condemned the attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities by Israel and the United States, adding the attacks set a bad precedent, threatening the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.

The U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2018, reinstated and continuously escalated unilateral sanctions against Iran, and adopted maximum pressure measures, depriving Iran of the economic benefits promised by the agreement and forcing Iran to reduce its commitments, Fu said.

The U.S. recently disregarded its own credibility and launched military strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, further disrupting the negotiation process it had initiated, once again causing the nuclear issue to reach an impasse and sharply escalating the regional situation, Fu added.

Iran's sincerity in resolving the nuclear crisis should be valued, said the Chinese ambassador.

Up till today, Iran continues to fulfill its nuclear non-proliferation obligations and implement the comprehensive safeguards agreement. Iran has repeatedly stated that it does not seek to develop nuclear weapons, said Fu.

Tehran conducted several rounds of professional and pragmatic negotiations with the United States in a constructive manner and never abandoned its diplomatic efforts. However, some countries, citing the report of the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in a one-sided manner and ignoring the positive aspects of Iran's cooperation with the agency, pushed for the adoption of a resolution by the IAEA Board of Governors without adequate consultations. That jeopardized the atmosphere of dialogue while intensifying tension and confrontation, he said. "Those countries should reflect hard on the adverse consequences of their irresponsible move."

Israel and the United States, on the grounds of "possible future threats," resorted to the use of force against Iran, in serious violation of international law and Iran's sovereignty. Striking Iranian nuclear facilities that are placed under the IAEA safeguards sets a bad precedent, which threatens the international non-proliferation regime. China, once again, unequivocally condemns this, said Fu.

The aforementioned acts have also undermined diplomatic efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue and created a high degree of uncertainty about the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2231, he said. China is gravely concerned, he added.

A call for return to political settlement

The Chinese envoy on Tuesday also called for the return to the track of political settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue.

China is of the view that there is still hope for a peaceful solution to the Iranian nuclear issue as diplomatic means have not been exhausted, Fu said.

It is necessary for all parties to draw lessons from the crisis, restart dialogue on an equal footing and promote the return to the track of a political settlement, he said.

First thing first is to stop the fighting, he said, adding that China has taken note of the current developments on the ground and looks forward to the realization of a genuine ceasefire.

"The parties concerned should take practical measures to prevent the situation from escalating again. Meanwhile, the international community must make efforts to cool down the situation and promote dialogue and negotiation," he said.

To balance the objectives of nuclear non-proliferation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy, he called on Iran to continue to abide by its commitment not to develop nuclear weapons and all other parties to fully respect Iran's right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy as a state party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Noting that China supports all efforts to relaunch negotiations, he said the Security Council should play a constructive role in assisting parties in building trust, bridging differences and creating conditions conducive to the resumption of negotiations.

Relevant countries should abandon the practice of threatening to activate "the snapback mechanism" for sanctions against Iran at every turn as this will only aggravate tensions and confrontations and even further jeopardize diplomatic efforts, he said.

"A proper solution to the Iranian nuclear issue has a direct bearing on the authority and effectiveness of the international non-proliferation regime and is crucial to peace and stability in the Middle East," said Fu.

"At present, the situation in the region is at a critical and crucial juncture. China calls on all parties to act with a higher sense of urgency and responsibility to de-escalate the situation as soon as possible and resume negotiations at the earliest possible date," he said.

As a permanent member of the Security Council and a party to the Iran nuclear deal, China will continue to maintain an objective and impartial position, strengthen communication and coordination with all parties, build synergy, and uphold fairness and justice, with a view to playing a constructive role in restoring peace in the Middle East and promoting a political solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, he added.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: China's permanent representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong, speaks during an open meeting held by the UN Security Council in New York, June 24, 2025. /VCG)