CHINA said today that it is to host high-level talks with Russia and Iran this week to address Tehran’s nuclear programme.

The Beijing meeting was announced as the three nations held joint naval drills in the Middle East.

China said Foreign Vice-Minister Ma Zhaoxu would chair the trilateral meeting on Friday, joined by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.

The meeting will discuss common regional security issues as well as Iran’s nuclear programme, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a press briefing today.

The talks coincide with China deepening its strategic ties with Russia and Iran, highlighted by naval exercises codenamed Security Belt 2025 taking place this week. 

The joint drills are being held in the Gulf of Oman near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which passes a fifth of all the crude oil traded worldwide. 

The exercises, due to end tomorrow, have been held by the three countries every year since 2021.

Observers include Azerbaijan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates.

Iran’s television network aired segments showing live fire during a night drill and sailors manning deck guns on a vessel. 

China’s Defence Ministry said the joint exercises were aimed at boosting military trust between the three nations.

The United States and Israel have been conducting joint exercises in the area for some months, which have contributed to high tensions with Iran.

US war planes have reportedly taken off from British air bases to take part in the war games with Israel.

This military co-operation between China, Iran and Russia comes as US President Donald Trump applies pressure over Iran’s nuclear programme.

Mr Trump sent a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last week urging a renewal of talks between Washington and Tehran.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Tehran’s mission to the United Nations said talks with the US could proceed if they were limited to military aspects. It appeared cautiously open despite the supreme leader’s previous strong rejections.

Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office last month that “there’s no reason for us to be building brand new nuclear weapons,” as he pointed out that existing arsenals could already “destroy the world 50 times over, 100 times over.”

He went on to suggest that it was his goal to halve military spending.