Exclusive | China can use ‘good relationship’ to push Iran on nuclear programme, Israeli official says

A senior Israeli official has called on China to use its influence to press Iran to end its nuclear ambitions, ahead of a meeting of major powers trying to save a landmark deal from collapsing.

Minister for Regional Cooperation Tzachi Hanegbi also told the South China Morning Post that Iran could not rely on support from China to offset the impact of sanctions to be initiated by the United States over the nation’s nuclear programme.

Hanegbi’s remarks came before senior diplomats from Iran, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia meet in Vienna on Friday, aiming to safeguard a pact reached in 2015. Under the accord, Iran agreed to reduce its nuclear facilities to have sanctions lifted to free up oil revenue and frozen assets of more than US$100 billion.

The nuclear deal reached between Iran, Germany and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – was once seen as a consequential accord that would reshape Middle East politics.

But in May, US President Donald Trump called the agreement “a horrible, one-sided deal” and announced the United States would withdraw, leaving Iran vulnerable to a new wave of sanctions, while companies with business ties to Tehran could face US penalties. Israel said Iran had breached the deal and was expanding its nuclear weapons.

“China has a good relationship with Iran. They can talk sensitively ... If they don’t really need nuclear military power, let’s negotiate about what’s going to happen after 10 years,” Hanegbi said, referring to some of the terms of the deal expiring in 10 and 15 years from 2015.

“Of course they will not be convinced only because of talk. They will be convinced until they find themselves pressured by sanctions.”