Senior diplomats from Iran, Russia, and China gathered in Beijing on Friday for discussions on Tehran's nuclear programme, following Iran's rejection of U.S. "orders" to resume talks over the issue.

Senior diplomats from Iran, Russia, and China met in Beijing on Friday to discuss Tehran’s nuclear programme, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported, days after Iran rejected U.S. "orders" to resume dialogue on the issue.

In 2015, Iran reached an agreement with the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. However, in 2018, Donald Trump, a year into his first term as U.S. president, withdrew from the pact.

Last week, Trump stated that he had sent a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proposing nuclear talks, adding that "there are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal."

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded that he would not negotiate with the U.S. under "threats" and that Iran would not comply with U.S. "orders" to engage in talks.

Tensions increased after six of the United Nations Security Council’s 15 members—the U.S., France, Greece, Panama, South Korea, and Britain—held a closed-door meeting this week to discuss Iran’s nuclear programme. Tehran criticised the meeting as a "misuse" of the U.N. Security Council.

Ahead of Friday’s talks in Beijing, which were attended by the vice foreign ministers of China, Russia, and Iran, China expressed hope that the discussions would help create "conditions" for the early resumption of dialogue and negotiations.

Iran has consistently denied seeking to develop nuclear weapons, but the International Atomic Energy Agency warned last month that Tehran was "dramatically" accelerating uranium enrichment to near 90% weapons-grade levels.

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