TEHRAN — The U.S. should give up its wrong approach toward the Iran nuclear deal, says Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.

“I’d like to reiterate that the U.S. unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA and maximum pressure on Iran is the root cause of the current Iranian nuclear crisis,” she said during a press conference on Monday.

“The only correct way to resolve this issue is to uphold and implement the JCPOA,” Hua said, adding, “The U.S. should give up its wrong approach, avoid obstructing other parties' implementation of the nuclear deal, and leave room for diplomatic endeavors.

Hua stated that China supports greater dialogue and cooperation between Iran and the IAEA to find a proper solution to ensure IAEA monitoring on the basis of upholding previous consensus.

“In the meantime, we hope all parties can support the above-mentioned diplomatic endeavors and do things that lead to de-escalation rather than escalation,” the Chinese spokesperson remarked.

“We also believe the IAEA will properly resolve the matter in an objective and impartial manner,” she added.

Meanwhile, Western news agencies published a confidential IAEA report on Friday on nuclear inspections in Iran.

According to Reuters, the report contains a call on Iran to “immediately cooperate fully with the agency, including by providing prompt access to the locations specified.”

Kazem Gharib Abadi, Iran’s ambassador to the Vienna-based international organizations, said the report proves continuation of the agency’s verification activities in Iran.

In comments on Friday night, Gharibabadi said the report also shows a suspension of Tehran’s commitment to JCPOA.

On technical nuclear issues, the IAEA report says Iran’s stockpile of heavy water has surpassed the limit of 130 tons and reached 132.6 tons, he remarked.

Asked to comment on IAEA’s Friday reports, Hua said China noted the latest IAEA reports regarding the Iranian nuclear issue. “The reports confirmed that Iran has maintained the agency's verification and monitoring activities in the country, that Iran has not taken the fifth step of reducing commitments and has not diverted declared nuclear materials for other purposes.”

The reports also suggest that Iran would like to engage in more dialogue and cooperation with the IAEA on fulfilling its obligations, she said.

On the Iranian nuclear issue, she continued, China is always committed to upholding the JCPOA, endorsing multilateralism, safeguarding peace and stability in the Middle East and championing international order based on international law.

“We are ready to carry out closer coordination with relevant parties and continue making efforts for the political and diplomatic solution of the Iranian nuclear issue,” the spokesperson concluded.

MH/PA