Beijing supports Tehran’s “reasonable demands” regarding the Iran nucleardeal link, China’s president said onMonday.

Xi Jinping extended the assurance during a phone call with his Iraniancounterpart Hassan Rouhani, China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

“China supports Iran’s reasonable demands concerning the JointComprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] on the Iranian nuclear issue, andstands ready to strengthen coordination with Iran and safeguard the commoninterests of both sides,” Xi told Rouhani.

The high-level exchange between China and Iran comes after the twocountries signed a 25-year strategic cooperation agreement on March 27 aspart of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

The $400 billion deal was on the cards since President Xi’s visit to Tehranin January 2016.

The future of the 2015 nuclear pact has been uncertain since the USwithdrew from it in 2018 and slapped more sanctions on Iran, deepening therift between Tehran and Washington and its allies.

Iran and the other signatories of the agreement – France, the UK, Germany,Russia, China, and the EU – started talks last month in Vienna to salvagethe deal.

Amid the impasse, Tehran has moved ahead with its nuclear program, whilereducing cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The UN agency struck a three-month monitoring deal with Tehran in February,which ended on Saturday but may be extended for a month, despite oppositionfrom the Iranian parliament.

Rafael Grossi, head of the IAEA, has been holding talks with Iranianofficials on extending the arrangement, with Iran’s Foreign Ministry alsohaving hinted at the possibility of a “conditional extension.”

The extension is likely in view of the ongoing Vienna talks and theupcoming presidential election in Iran on June 18, according to a report byIran’s Nour News Agency on Sunday that cited an unnamed official of thecountry’s Supreme National Security Council.