Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili on Friday criticized a U.S. drive to impose sanctions over its atomic program, saying Washington's tough talking was little more than an election ploy.
Addressing reporters after talks with Chinese officials, Jalili said Iran and China were both opposed to sanctions.
"U.S. unilateral sanctions, you can say are only sanctions on themselves and their companies," Jalili said.
"These proposals, plans and dramas are all for the U.S. domestic elections and some nations are viewing these mistaken U.S. unilateral actions with a cold eye."
He refused to say what position China would take in talks on a proposed new U.N. resolution on Iran to be discussed when the five permanent members of the Security Council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S. - and Germany meet in Berlin next week.
He reiterated that China and Iran were opposed to both sanctions and weapons proliferation, and supported the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
"These are the three basic common positions that we agree on and we have had a good exchange of views on how to realize these goals (internationally)," he said, via a Chinese translation.