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.

China, Iran and Russia called for diplomacy over “pressure and threats” and an end to “all illegal unilateral sanctions” following talks on Tehran’s nuclear program Friday in Beijing, Chinese state media said.

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 for an end to U.S. sanctions on Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program and a restart to multinational talks on the issue.

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