A Chinese envoy said Tuesday that maintaining the ceasefire between Iran and the United States is the overriding priority.
"Threats of force or the imposition of war will only push the Iranian nuclear issue and the situation in the Middle East into a dangerous abyss," said Sun Lei, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.
"The United States' unilateral withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and its two military actions against Iran during the negotiation process have severely undermined diplomatic efforts. These actions are the root cause of the current difficult and complex situation," said Sun. "The relevant parties should focus on peace and strive to stop the fighting and reach an agreement that serves the interests of all parties involved as soon as possible."
Under the current circumstances, the Security Council should play a constructive role rather than blindly pushing for sanctions and exerting pressure on Iran, and it certainly must not become a tool for individual countries to advance their own political agendas, Sun said.
