China and Russia are both permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, along with France and Britain, that took part in the original 2015 Iran nuclear deal preliminary framework agreement. Trump withdrew America from the accord in 2018, setting in motion years of tensions in the wider Middle East.

Beijing calls for diplomacy over escalation, with all 3 nations urging looking at 'root causes' of Iranian nuclear issue - Anadolu Ajansı

China, Russia, and Iran held talks in Beijing demanding an end to US sanctions on Tehran, while a sanctions expert expressed skepticism about lifting sanctions as a precondition for negotiations.