Iran and Europe Resume Nuclear Talks Ahead of UN Deadline
Iran will continue nuclear talks with European powers after holding “serious, frank, and detailed” discussions on Friday. This was their first face-to-face meeting since Israel and the US bombed Iran last month.
The meeting took place in Istanbul. EU and E3 diplomats—France, Germany, and the UK—met Iranian officials for four hours at Iran’s consulate. The UN nuclear watchdog said the talks might reopen nuclear inspections in Iran.
Before the meeting, Iran rejected calls to extend a UN resolution backing the 2015 nuclear deal. That deal, which limits Iran’s nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief, is set to expire soon.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said both sides shared specific proposals on sanctions and nuclear commitments. He also criticized Europe’s stance on the recent attacks and restated Iran’s view on the “snapback mechanism,” which can trigger a return of UN sanctions.
France, Germany, and the UK, along with China and Russia, still support the 2015 agreement. The US withdrew from it in 2018.
A key deadline is October 18. If no country triggers the snapback clause 30 days before, all UN sanctions on Iran will end. If triggered, the sanctions—affecting oil, banking, and defense—will automatically return.
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PRESS UPDATE