Beijing blames US for Iran crisis

China has expressed regret over Iran’s breaching of the 2015 nuclear deal and blamed the United States, saying “maximum pressure” from the Trump administration, which withdrew from the accord last year, is behind the crisis.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang described the comprehensive agreement as the only realistic and effective way to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue and ease tensions.

Tehran says it is now enriching uranium at a higher level than is allowed under the 2015 agreement with world powers.

Geng said at a daily news briefing that “maximum pressure” imposed by the U.S. was the “root cause” of the crisis. Since withdrawing from the accord, the U.S. has imposed heavy economic sanctions on Iran.

Geng called for a diplomatic solution, saying “it has been proven that unilateral bullying has become a worsening ‘tumor’ and is creating more problems and greater crises on a global scale.”

Categories China