Iran announced it would continue nuclear talks with European powers following “serious, frank, and detailed” conversations on Friday. This marks the first such face-to-face meeting since Israel and the United States conducted airstrikes on Iran last month. Prior to the meeting in Istanbul, Iran also rejected proposals to extend the United Nations resolution that ratifies the 2015 nuclear deal, which is nearing its expiry and was designed to curtail Iran’s nuclear program.
Delegations from the European Union and the E3 group (France, Britain, and Germany) met with their Iranian counterparts for approximately four hours at Iran’s consulate. The UN nuclear watchdog indicated that these talks could pave the way for resuming inspections in Iran.
Proposals from Iran and European Countries
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated afterward that both sides had presented specific ideas concerning sanctions relief and the nuclear issue. He explained, “While seriously criticizing their stances regarding the recent war of aggression against our people, we explained our principled positions, including on the so-called snapback mechanism.” He added, “It was agreed that consultations on this matter will continue.”
The European countries, along with China and Russia, are the remaining parties to the 2015 deal—from which the U.S. withdrew in 2018. This agreement lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program. A critical deadline of October 18 is fast approaching, when the resolution governing that deal is set to expire. At that point, all UN sanctions on Iran will be lifted unless the “snapback” mechanism is triggered at least 30 days prior. This mechanism would automatically reimpose those sanctions, which target sectors ranging from hydrocarbons to banking and defense. To allow time for this potential activation, the E3 has set an August-end deadline to revive diplomatic efforts. Diplomats indicate their desire for Iran to take concrete steps to persuade them to extend the deadline by up to six months.
European Demands for Nuclear Commitments from Iran
Iran would be required to make commitments on key issues, including potential future talks with Washington, full cooperation with the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and providing an account for 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of near-weapons-grade highly enriched uranium, whose whereabouts have been unknown since last month’s strikes.
Before the talks, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson had dismissed discussions of extending UN Security Council Resolution 2231 as “meaningless and baseless.” IAEA head Rafael Grossi expressed optimism that nuclear inspection visits might be able to restart this year, emphasizing the importance of discussing technical details now. “We need to agree on where to go, how to do it. We need to listen to Iran in terms of what they consider should be the precautions to be taken,” he told reporters in Singapore.
Background of the Dispute
The United States held five rounds of talks with Iran before its airstrikes in June, which U.S. President Donald Trump claimed had “obliterated” a program that Washington and its ally Israel contend is aimed at acquiring a nuclear bomb. However, NBC News has cited current and former U.S. officials who reported that a subsequent U.S. assessment found that while the strikes destroyed most of one of three targeted nuclear sites, the other two were not as severely damaged. Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon, stating its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes.
