Storyline: China emphasized the need to intensify constructive efforts among all parties to ease tensions surrounding the Iranian nuclear issue and safeguard diplomatic gains at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors meeting on Wednesday. Li Song, China's permanent representative to the IAEA, voiced strong concern over the joint strikes by the United States and Israel in June on Iranian nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards. He said these actions had severely undermined diplomatic momentum and disrupted cooperation between Iran and the IAEA. In the face of a complex and challenging situation, China firmly opposes hegemonic and bullying practices. It remains committed to promoting peace and dialog, facilitating communication and mediation, and actively engaging in constructive diplomatic efforts to prevent escalation and encourage dialog and cooperation, Li said. On the issue of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, China explicitly opposes the move by France, Britain, and Germany, collectively known as the E3, to trigger the snapback mechanism to reinstate sanctions on Iran. Li stressed that such action does nothing to rebuild trust, hinders the resumption of negotiations, and could lead to disastrous consequences, ultimately destroying the hard-won diplomatic progress. Li pointed out that President Xi Jinping's Global Governance Initiative and Global Security Initiative are of guiding importance for properly settling the Iranian nuclear issue. The issue can only be addressed effectively by fully respecting Iran's right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, ensuring the peaceful nature of its nuclear program, and supporting these goals with strict international verification under the IAEA framework. The international community should work toward a renewed consensus on resolving the Iranian nuclear issue through political and diplomatic means. "China believes that under the current circumstances, all relevant parties should take more concrete actions in support of genuine diplomacy. We will continue to promote the political and diplomatic settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue in a principled, responsible, and constructive approach, so as to safeguard the international nuclear non-proliferation regime," said Li. At the meeting, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi briefed member states on his recent diplomatic breakthrough with Iran. On Tuesday, Grossi met with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi in Cairo, where both sides agreed to resume nuclear safeguard inspections under a newly signed technical agreement. Grossi clarified that while the document may be highly technical in nature, it represents a critical foundation for resuming inspections under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and related safeguards. At a joint press conference with Grossi and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Araghchi said the agreement was based on principles of mutual respect and national sovereignty. He also cautioned that any further hostile actions or unilateral attempts to reinstate expired UN resolutions would nullify the agreement. Iran had suspended its cooperation with the Agency in the wake of the June strikes and the targeted killings of its nuclear scientists. Despite these setbacks, both Iran and the IAEA maintained communication, culminating in an IAEA technical visit to Iran in August, the first since cooperation was suspended. Shotlist: Vienna, Austria - Sept 10, 2025: 1. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters 2. IAEA Board of Governors meeting in progress, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi speaking 3. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Li Song, China's permanent representative to IAEA: "China believes that under the current circumstances, all relevant parties should take more concrete actions in support of genuine diplomacy. We will continue to promote the political and diplomatic settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue in a principled, responsible, and constructive approach, so as to safeguard the international nuclear non-proliferation regime." Cairo, Egypt - Sept 9, 2025: 4. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi (L), Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty (middle), IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi (R) posing for photos 5. Araghchi, Grossi signing agreements 6. Araghchi, Grossi, Abdelatty posing for photos FILE: Tehran, Iran - Date Unknown 7. Various of city view FILE: Tehran, Iran - April 10, 2023: 8. Various of traffic, rows of national flags of Iran by roadsides, traffic FILE: Vienna, Austria - June 2025: 9. Flag of IAEA 10. Various of IAEA headquarters, flags, sign. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV]