Iran Says "Serious, Frank, and Detailed" Nuclear Talks with European Diplomats

AFP

Nuclear talks took place at Iran's consulate in the Turkish city ofIstanbul.

Iranian diplomats have resumed nuclear talks with their counterparts from the UK, France, and Germany — the first such meeting since Israel launched strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June, triggering a 12-day conflict that also drew in the United States.

The war, which saw multiple Iranian nuclear sites targeted by U.S. airstrikes, brought U.S.-Iran talks to a sudden halt. The European trio, known as the E3, have since warned that unless tangible progress is made by the end of August, they may reimpose sanctions suspended under the 2015 nuclear agreement.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi described the talks as “serious, frank, and detailed,” confirming that both sides presented specific proposals and agreed to continue consultations. In a post on X, he said the discussions addressed sanctions relief and nuclear commitments, while sharply criticising the E3’s stance on what he called a “war of aggression” against Iran.

The talks also come amid rising international pressure on Iran to return to compliance with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which eased sanctions in exchange for restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme and monitoring by international inspectors. The deal unravelled after the US unilaterally withdrew in 2018, reimposing sanctions that Iran responded to by breaching key commitments.

The E3 has threatened to trigger the deal’s “snapback” mechanism — a provision that could reimpose UN sanctions — if no progress is made by October. Gharibabadi has called such a move “completely illegal.”

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said Friday that Iran had expressed readiness to restart technical-level discussions but emphasised the need for greater transparency regarding Iran’s nuclear facilities and activities.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei accused the E3 of “supporting aggression” through their alignment with US and Israeli actions, and said Tehran would formally protest their role in the recent conflict.

Tensions remain high after the Israeli strikes on 13 June, which prompted retaliatory missile and drone attacks from Tehran. While the US claimed that its subsequent operation — dubbed “Operation Midnight Hammer” — had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, a US intelligence assessment in June concluded the programme was only delayed by several months.



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