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Iran top diplomat to visit China on Friday: state media
TEHRAN, May 16, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad
Zarif is set to visit China on Friday for talks on “regional and
international issues”, state news agency IRNA reported.
Coming amid soaring tensions between Washington and Tehran, the visit
would be an opportunity to discuss the 2015 nuclear deal from which the
United States unilaterally withdrew a year ago, IRNA said.
The China trip comes after Zarif visited Turkmenistan, India and Japan in
the past week.
China is one of the five remaining signatories to the Iran nuclear deal,
in addition to Britain, France, Germany and Russia. It is also a major
importer of Iranian crude oil.
In Tokyo, Zarif accused the United States of an “unacceptable” escalation
of tensions and said Tehran was showing “maximum restraint” despite
Washington’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal.
Tensions were already high after President Donald Trump walked away from
the accord in May 2018, but they have ratcheted up recently with the US
deploying an aircraft carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf over alleged
threats from Iran.
BSS/AFP/ARS/2016 hrs