Representatives of China, Russia and Iran called for an end to U.S. sanctions on Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program and a restart to multinational talks on the issue.

Senior Chinese and Russian diplomats said dialogue should only resume based on "mutual respect" and all sanctions ought to be lifted.

Iran, China, and Russia fired a diplomatic salvo Friday, jointly denouncing the U.S. “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran in a statement released after a Beijing powwow of their deputy foreign ministers.