Wang said the US’s withdrawal from the deal and its sanctions against Iran are the root cause of the current situation, so the early return of the US to the accord is the key to solving the problem.

"The justified request of the injured party, rather than the offending party, should be confirmed and satisfied first. This is a basic right-or-wrong question. The US should lift all sanctions against Tehran and on that basis, Iran can resume full compliance with the nuclear deal," Wang said in a statement. He said China supports the Joint Commission's efforts to set up two expert-level groups, one on sanctions-lifting and nuclear issues, the other on "close contact" with the US. He said China hopes the two groups will make progress as soon as possible.