Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian stressed Tehran’s will to strengthen ties with China, as well as Russia, to counter the United States’ unilateralism.

In a meeting with China’s Vice Premier of the State Council Zhang Guoqing in Tehran on December 4, the presidential website reported that Pezeshkian accused the US of seeking totalitarianism and unilateralism in the international arena following the resurgence of what Tehran alleges are groups backed by the US and Israel. 

"We are determined to expand our cooperation with China and Russia to confront unilateralism," he said.

Referring to his constructive talks with the Chinese president on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, he said Iran-China cooperation has always been friendly and cordial in the distant past, and today, the relations between the two countries are strategic.

China and Iran have forged a strong economic alliance, with China absorbing up to 90% of Iran's oil production, according to exclusive data accessed by Newsbase. This arrangement has become pivotal for Iran, navigating the choppy waters of Western sanctions, while providing China with a reliable energy source to fuel its industrial growth. Iran's oil exports to China have significantly increased, reaching a record high of approximately 1.8 to 2 million barrels per day by late 2024, making Iran one of China's top oil suppliers.

Iran's Pezeshkian said that since the first days of his tenure as head of state, he has been looking for the implementation of a 25-year comprehensive agreement with China which has taken months to agree on.

"In the recent meeting with Xi Jinping, we had good understandings, and your visit to Tehran to follow up on these understandings is also proof of the Chinese government's determination to expand relations with Iran," he said.

In this meeting, the Chinese Vice Premier described Iran as a large and important country in the region with a constructive role at the international level.

The two sides have had differences in recent years over the status of three Persian Gulf islands, following Beijing's stance favouring the United Arab Emirates over Iran. 

Guoqing highlighted that his visit to Iran aimed to advance the agreements between the two countries' presidents in Kazan.

He stressed that Iran is a vital and strategic partner for China, noting that Beijing has structured its relationship with Iran to expand and solidify long-term and strategic cooperation.

“We are pleased with Iran's efforts to deepen our bilateral relations. Our cooperation extends to various fields, including bilateral relations and joint initiatives in international organisations to counter unilateralism,” he said.

A 25-year partnership plan between Iran and China, officially known as the "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," was signed in March 2021. This long-term agreement aims to enhance cooperation across various economic, military, and cultural sectors.