China keeps a close watch on Iran’s nuclear reset promise under its new president

Analysts expect reformist Masoud Pezeshkian to steer Iran towards re-engagement with the West, in a boost for its ties with Beijing

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Iran’s president-elect Masoud Pezeshkian greets supporters a day after the election at the shrine of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini just outside Tehran. Photo: AP

Published: 6:00pm, 13 Jul 2024Updated: 6:11pm, 13 Jul 2024

China will be watching Iran’s uranium enrichment programme closely in the coming months, hopeful that the country’s new reformist president, Masoud Pezeshkian, can slow his country’s march towards developing nuclear weapons.

Pezeshkian’s decisive victory over the preferred candidate of Iran’s religious and military establishment reflected widespread public support for his vow to diplomatically re-engage the West, analysts say.

A congratulatory message on July 7 from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s top diplomatic adviser, Kamal Kharrazi, was interpreted as a green light for the president-elect to pursue a “tactical shift” in Tehran’s stance.

Kharrazi, a former foreign minister and chairman of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, said in a statement that Pezeshkian’s emphasis on using prominent foreign policy experts promises to solve “the problems caused by cruel Western sanctions” with “dignity and authority”.

However, to make meaningful progress on negotiating a diplomatic reset with the West and easing sanctions, analysts say Pezeshkian will need to offer concessions on Iran’s nuclear programme – such as slowing enrichment, allowing resumed international inspections, and de-escalating tensions with the United States. These steps, while not a major overhaul of policy, could help persuade European powers Britain, France and Germany to re-engage in talks about reviving a 2015 nuclear deal.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “still has final say” on policymaking, regardless of who is president. Photo: dpa

“They are basically tactical adjustments,” said Eric Brewer, a previous director for counterproliferation on the US National Security Council.