TEHRAN – An advisor to Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, has called for Iran and China to work together closely on all fronts, a call made as the two countries' long-held friendship appears closer than ever.

“The two countries enjoy strategic and deep-rooted relations, and mutual cooperation can further expand against the backdrop of regional and international developments,” said Aliakbar Velayati in a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Tehran Cong Peiwu.

In the meeting, they emphasized the need to enhance strategic relations between Tehran and Beijing, trading views on bilateral, regional and international developments.

The two officials further discussed Washington’s excessive demands the U.S. interference in different parts of the world as well the White House’s support for Israeli crimes in Gaza.

“Sino-Iranian ties are based on common interests, mutual respect and political independence,” Velayati explained.

He also said Iran and China are among the heavyweights in Asia.

“In Asia, there are three independent powers, namely Iran, China and Russia, which play an effective role in shaping the new world order,” he added.

This comes as the presidents of Iran and China have pledged to fully implement a 25-year comprehensive strategic partnership document, which focuses on closer cooperation between the two sides in all areas.

During a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in early October, President Masoud Pezeshkian also voiced Tehran’s support for Xi’s global governance initiative and said Iran was ready to work with Beijing under all circumstances to raise relations to their “maximum level.”

Pezeshkian said China could count on Iran as a “strong and determined” partner and expressed interest in joint projects, including high-speed railways and highways. He also criticized the United States for pursuing unilateral policies and interfering in other countries.

Xi said China was committed to advancing relations with Iran with a “future-oriented outlook” and called for faster implementation of bilateral agreements, including those discussed at their previous meeting in Kazan.

The Chinese leader described Iran as a “strategic partner” and urged closer coordination within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to counter unilateralism. After Pezeshkian’s return, Ayatollah Khamenei described his trip to China as significant.

Meanwhile, Velayati also expressed his gratitude to China for its position on the invocation of the so-called “snapback mechanism” by the three European countries, saying Beijing’s support for Iran at international circles indicates the extent of cordial ties and mutual trust between the two countries.

China has always expressed its objection to the reinstatement of sanctions on Iran under the so-called snapback mechanism.

Over a month ago, Iran, China and Russia, in a letter to UN Secretary General António Guterres, announced that a move by Britain, France and Germany to re-impose illegal sanctions against Iran lack any legal foundation.

“Efforts by the three European countries to invoke the so-called ‘snapback’ mechanism are legally defective and lack any legal basis,” read the letter addressed to Guterres as well as Vassily Nebenzia, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council.

They reiterated that the EU3 themselves have failed to keep their side of the bargain.

“The three European countries, which themselves have reneged on their commitments under [UNSC] Resolution 2231 and refused to comply with the trend set in the ‘dispute settlement mechanism’ are not competent to refer to its provisions,” the letter added.

“Within this framework, we once again stress that under operative clause 8 of Resolution 2231, all of its provisions were terminated after October 18, 2025. Once again, we reiterate that the full and prompt termination of Resolution 2231 amounts to the end of reviewing Iran’s nuclear issue at the UN Security Council, something which would reinforce the power of the council and the credibility of multilateral diplomacy,” the letter further read.

The UK, France, and Germany triggered the snapback on August 28, setting in motion a process to restore all UN sanctions on Iran.