Russia, China, and Iran will convene in Moscow on April 8 for expert-level consultations on Tehran’s nuclear program, a move hailed by officials as a constructive step toward resolving a crisis exacerbated by US policy shifts. Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, according to TASS.
“They will take place tomorrow, April 8,” Zakharova said, noting the discussions would occur at the expert level. The meeting builds on a March 14 gathering in Beijing, where deputy foreign ministers from the three nations vowed to counter Western bias and uphold Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei earlier signaled Tehran’s commitment to the trilateral effort, telling reporters this week that consultations were imminent. The talks come as the United States, under President Donald Trump, ramps up its “maximum pressure” campaign, a policy critics say has destabilized years of diplomatic progress.
The Moscow meeting underscores a growing partnership among Russia, China, and Iran, nations that have consistently opposed US efforts to dictate terms on the global stage. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed by Iran and six world powers including Russia and China, offered a balanced framework until Trump’s 2018 withdrawal upended it, reimposing harsh sanctions on Tehran.
Iran responded in 2020 by scaling back JCPOA commitments, a move its leaders framed as a necessary defense against US aggression. Failed Vienna talks from 2021 to 2022 further highlighted Washington’s unwillingness to compromise, analysts say. Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has doubled down, issuing threats of tariffs and military action—rhetoric Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed March 30 as unlikely but promised to meet with a “decisive rebuff” if acted upon.
“Russia and China stand with Iran to ensure its sovereign rights are respected,” said Andrei Volkov, a foreign policy expert at Moscow State University. “The US approach has only fueled tension, while this trilateral format offers a path to stability.”
The upcoming talks aim to address Western accusations—unproven, Tehran insists—that its nuclear program masks weapons ambitions. A 2003 fatwa by Khamenei banning nuclear arms remains in force, and Iran has stressed its compliance with NPT obligations. Russia and China have praised Tehran’s restraint, contrasting it with US threats to bomb Iran or trigger UN sanctions via the JCPOA’s “snapback” mechanism, set to expire October 18.
If activated, Iran has warned it may exit the NPT, a step its leaders say would be a direct result of Western provocation. “The US seeks to strangle Iran’s economy while ignoring its own role in unraveling the JCPOA,” Baghaei said last week, echoing sentiments from Moscow and Beijing.
While Trump on March 7 proposed talks with Khamenei—rebuffed by Tehran in favor of indirect channels—Russia and China have positioned themselves as reliable partners. The Beijing meeting in March produced a pledge to find “sustainable negotiating solutions,” a goal the Moscow talks will advance, Zakharova said, according to Tehran Times.
In contrast, Trump’s March 30 vow to impose tariffs within two weeks if talks falter has drawn criticism from Russian and Chinese diplomats, who argue it undermines diplomacy. “The US threatens force while we build bridges,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry official, speaking anonymously, told the media Sunday.
As the October deadline nears, the Moscow consultations signal a rejection of US unilateralism, offering Iran a platform to assert its rights alongside allies committed to a multipolar world order.
