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Iran presses China and Russia to save nuclear deal
- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Beijing for talks on ‘dangerous issues’ in the region
- Calls for concrete action to safeguard international accord
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Iran’s top diplomat has urged China and Russia to take “concrete action” to safeguard the nuclear deal, warning of a “dangerous situation” amid rising tensions with the US.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Friday, following the deployment last week of a US aircraft carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf over alleged threats from Iran. Saudi Arabia has also accused Iran of being behind a drone attack which shut down a key oil pipeline in the kingdom.
Zarif said he would talk with Chinese officials about “bilateral ties and the very dangerous issues that are ongoing in our region today”, according to a video published on the Iranian foreign ministry website.
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Washington has deployed more troops in the Gulf, one of the world’s most strategic waterways, in what US officials said was a reaction to photographs showing Iran had loaded missiles onto small traditional boats.
On Wednesday the US State Department ordered the evacuation of most personnel from the US embassy and consulate in Iraq, fearing an attack by Iranian-directed Shiite militias.
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