China calls for dialogue, restraint to prevent Iran situation from spiraling out of control

May 9 (UPI) -- China called on all parties involved in the Iran nuclear deal to increase dialogue and exercise restrained in order to prevent the situation from escalating further while blaming the United States for the heightened tensions.

On Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani declared that the country would stop complying with some parts of the 2015 nuclear deal it signed with Britain, China, the United States, France, Germany and Russia.

The declaration came on the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump fully pulling out of the deal.

Rouhani informed the other countries they had 60 days to decide to either follow Trump or to trade for oil with Iran in violation of U.S.-imposed sanctions.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang commended Iran for its "faithful implementation" of the deal in a regular daily briefing Wednesday while firmly condemning the United States for its "long-arm jurisdiction" against Iran, including its April 25 cancellation of waivers allowing counties including Iraq, Turkey India, China and Japan to purchase Iranian oil without violating U.S sanctions.

"We regret that the U.S. moves have heightened tensions surrounding the Iranian nuclear issue," he said.

He said the deal plays a vital role in the non-proliferation nuclear weapons as well as establishing peace and stability in the Middle East, saying all parties have a shared responsibility in keeping the deal alive.

"We call on relevant sides to exercise restraint and step up dialogue to prevent a spiral of escalation of tensions," Geng said. "China will maintain communication with all parties concerned and continue to work toward upholding and implementing the agreement."