By Parisa Hafezi (Reuters) -For Iran's clerical leaders, engaging with the "Great Satan" to hammer out a nuclear deal and ease crippling sanctions may for once be the lesser of two evils. Though it harbours deep mistrust of the United States,

Ministers from Iran, Russia and China meet in Beijing to discuss Tehran's nuclear programme and call for end to U.S. sanctions.

Beijing sought to position itself as a key player in negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, as President Trump called for talks with Tehran.

Representatives of China, Russia and Iran called Friday for an end to U.S. sanctions on Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program and a restart to multinational talks on the issue. The talks are the latest attempt to broach the matter and come after U.

China is hosting diplomats from Iran and Russia for talks on Iran’s nuclear program Friday as Beijing aims to position itself as a power broker on an issue seen internationally as a pressing security concern.

It was Iran's weak economy that pushed Khamenei to give tentative backing to the nuclear agreement struck with major powers in 2015, leading to a lifting of Western sanctions and

With sanctions squeezing its economy, Iran is exploring the possibility of talks with the United States while resisting pressure to make major concessions. But he believes Iran has "no choice but to negotiate" with the United States.