The Nuclear Framework Agreement and China-Iran Relations

Iran and its P5+1 negotiating partners reached a groundbreaking framework agreement on Tehran's nuclear program in early April. In this podcast, Carnegie's Tong Zhao and Ariane Tabatabai discussed the agreement, follow-up talks on technical details, and China's relations with Iran.

Tabatabai asserted that changes in Iran's domestic political landscape were an important element of Tehran's negotiating stance, although the economic benefits of ending sanctions also played a key role. She maintained that rolling back sanctions not only would be economically advantageous for Iran, but also could enhance the country's commercial and diplomatic engagement with China. She suggested that China must foster trust with the Iranian public in order to deepen cooperation on trade and infrastructure development.