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Iran Engages in New Nuclear Talks with European Powers
Photos of Iranian military leaders, nuclear scientists, and others who have died in Israeli airstrikes are displayed at Behesht Zahra Cemetery in southern Tehran, Iran, on July 11, 2025. — Reuters
- Western nations and Israel claim Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons.
- The E3 warns of possible sanctions if Iran does not return to negotiations.
- Discussions will focus on Iran’s nuclear program, according to a foreign ministry spokesperson.
BERLIN: Iran has confirmed that it will participate in new discussions with European powers on Friday in Istanbul, marking the first negotiations since the United States targeted Iranian nuclear facilities a month ago.
Iranian diplomats are set to meet with representatives from the E3—Britain, France, and Germany—after these countries issued a warning that sanctions might be reinstated if Iran fails to re-engage in talks regarding its nuclear program.
Western nations and Israel have long accused Iran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons, a claim that Tehran has continuously denied.
“In response to the request from European countries, Iran has agreed to initiate a new round of discussions,” stated Esmail Baghai, the foreign ministry spokesperson, as reported by state media.
The main topic for negotiation will be Iran’s nuclear program.
A German diplomatic source informed AFP on Sunday that the E3 countries are in touch with Tehran and stressed, “Iran should never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon.”
“This is why Germany, France, and the United Kingdom are continuing to work diligently within the E3 framework to identify a sustainable and verifiable diplomatic resolution to Iran’s nuclear program,” the source added.
Israel conducted a series of surprise strikes on June 13, targeting significant military and nuclear sites in Iran.
The United States followed up with its own military actions, hitting the uranium enrichment facility at Fordo in Qom Province, as well as nuclear sites in Isfahan and Natanz, on June 22.
Kremlin Meeting
Before the onset of Israel’s 12-day conflict with Iran, several rounds of nuclear negotiations took place between Iran and the United States, facilitated by Oman.
However, the discussions were effectively halted when U.S. President Donald Trump decided to support Israel’s attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.
The last meeting between the E3 countries and Iranian representatives occurred in Geneva on June 21, just a day prior to the U.S. airstrikes.
Also on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin met unexpectedly in the Kremlin with Ali Larijani, a key advisor to Iran’s supreme leader on nuclear issues.
Larijani “provided insights into the escalating situation in the Middle East and around Iran’s nuclear program,” according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Putin reiterated Russia’s “established positions on stabilizing the regional situation as well as on the political resolution of the Iranian nuclear program,” Peskov revealed.
While Moscow maintains a friendly relationship with Iran’s clerical leadership, it has not strongly aligned itself with Iran amidst the ongoing U.S.-Israeli hostilities.
Snapback Mechanism
In 2015, Iran and world powers reached an agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which imposed significant restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
However, the agreement began to deteriorate in 2018 when the United States withdrew from it and reinstated sanctions on Iran.
Recently, European nations have threatened to activate the deal’s “snapback” mechanism, which permits the reimposition of sanctions if Iran fails to comply.
Following a conversation with his European counterparts on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the Western allies had “no moral or legal basis” for reactivating snapback sanctions.
He elaborated further in a social media post on Sunday.
“By supporting the recent unprovoked and illegal military actions of the Israeli regime and the U.S., the E3 have forfeited their role as ‘Participants’ in the JCPOA,” Araghchi remarked.
As a result, any effort to reinstate the previously abandoned UN Security Council resolutions would be deemed “null and void,” he added.
“Iran has demonstrated its ability to counter any misguided attempts, yet it remains prepared to engage in genuine diplomacy in good faith,” Araghchi wrote.
However, a German source mentioned on Sunday that “if a resolution is not achieved during the summer, snapback remains an option for the E3.”
Ali Velayati, an advisor to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, indicated last week that there would be no new talks with the United States if they were contingent upon Tehran ceasing its uranium enrichment activities.
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