Iran to hold nuclear talks with UK, France and Germany on Friday

Iran will hold nuclear talks with Britain, France, and Germany (the E3) in Istanbul on Friday, according to Iranian officials. The meeting, set at the deputy foreign minister level, comes amid rising pressure from the E3, who have warned they may reinstate UN sanctions on Iran if negotiations don’t resume or show progress.

The talks follow a call last week between the E3 foreign ministers, the EU’s foreign policy chief, and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi—their first contact since Israel and the U.S. attacked Iranian nuclear facilities a month ago.

The E3 has threatened to activate the UN’s snapback mechanism—a move that would restore international sanctions—by the end of August if talks fail. Araqchi responded on Sunday by warning the E3 not to undermine the UN Security Council’s credibility and urged them to abandon what he called “worn-out policies of threat and pressure.”

Iran says it is ready for “meaningful diplomacy” but will resist any hostile actions. The snapback mechanism can be triggered before the October 18 expiration of the current UN resolution enshrining the 2015 nuclear deal.

Before the recent conflict between Iran and Israel, Tehran and Washington had held five rounds of nuclear negotiations, mediated by Oman. Talks stalled over issues like Iran’s uranium enrichment levels, which Western powers want reduced to minimize weaponization risk. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and intended only for civilian purposes.

Credit: CGTN