TEHRAN - Majlis Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Wednesday that the United States’ unilateral behavior is a serious threat to the international peace and security.

During a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Iran Chang Hua, Ghalibaf attached great importance to international cooperation to counter the White House’s “unwise actions”.

He also praised China’s stance and opposition against an anti-Iran resolution issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors.

The 35-member IAEA board passed the resolution on Friday, demanding access to two old places they claim nuclear work may have been done there.

Nine countries out 35 members to the board did not vote for the resolution. China and Russia voted against the resolution and Thailand, Mongolia, Niger, South Africa, India, Pakistan and the Republic of Azerbaijani abstained to vote.  

Tehran’s Ambassador to China, Mohammad Keshavarzzadeh, has said that Iran will not forget China’s stance on the resolution by the IAEA board.

“China wants the United States to return to the JCPOA [the 2015 nuclear deal] and the UNSC resolution. The recent stance of China on resolution of the agency [the IAEA] was firm and memorable. We will not forget that,” he tweeted on Monday.

He also posted a tweet by a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman who said, “E3 Foreign Ministers released a joint statement on Iran and upholding JCPOA commitments. Having quit JCPOA, the US has no right to ask the UNSC to trigger sanctions snapback. We urge the US to return to JCPOA and the UNSC resolution.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian has said that Beijing does not support a resolution by the IAEA which just increases tension.

In a press conference, Zhao urged the IAEA to act unbiasedly, IRNA reported on Monday.

The IAEA is expected to adopt a professional position and support Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities, he noted.

‘China is willing to boost relations with Iran’

During his Wednesday meeting with Ghalibaf, Chang also said that China is willing to boost relations with Iran and called for expansion of parliamentary ties.

“The two countries must support each other, as China firmly supported Iran’s sovereignty and independence and opposed the United States’ unilateral sanctions,” he said.

The ambassador also said that Western countries have imposed pressure on Iran and China under various pretexts, however, China has always opposed unilateralism and foreign interference.

NA/PA