Iran schedules diplomatic meetings with Russia, China and European nations as the deadline approaches for a new nuclear deal to avoid the reimposition of U.N. Security Council sanctions.

EU leaders are set for tough talks with China’s President Xi Jinping in Beijing this week, as the two sides clash over trade and China’s alleged long-running support for Russia in the Ukraine war at a time of heightened geopolitical turmoil.

"Strengthening air defense capabilities is clearly an urgent priority for Iran at the moment," expert Hongda Fan told Newsweek.

Expectations are rock-bottom for an EU-China summit on Thursday that will test European resolve and unity as the bloc faces intense trade pressure from both Beijing and the United States, analysts say.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said China’s dependence on Iranian and Russian oil is a key issue in upcoming trade talks.

"Cooperation among China, Russia, and India not only aligns with the respective interests of the three countries, but also contributes to regional and global peace, security, stability, and progress," the spokesperson, Lin Jian, told a regular briefing in Beijing.

Russia sought to do this naval drill primarily to show it is still interested in joint cooperation with Iran. Iran and Russia began a naval exercise on Monday.

Russia’s got one trading partner left that still writes big checks:- China. And those checks just got a hell of a lot bigger.