Iran, Europe's 'Big Three' to hold nuclear talks in Istanbul
What's the story
Iran has agreed to resume nuclear talks with European powers in Istanbul on Friday. This will be the first round of dialogue since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iranian nuclear sites a month ago. The discussions will involve representatives from Britain, France, and Germany, the E3, after they warned that sanctions could be reinstated if Tehran doesn't return to negotiations over its nuclear program.
Official announcement
Iran's foreign ministry confirms upcoming nuclear talks
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghai confirmed the upcoming talks, saying, "In response to the request of European countries, Iran has agreed to hold a new round of talks." The discussions will focus on Iran's nuclear program. A German diplomatic source told AFP that E3 nations remain in contact with Tehran and are working within the E3 framework for a lasting diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Diplomatic breakdown
Previous US-Iran nuclear negotiations collapsed
Previously, Iran and the United States had several rounds of nuclear negotiations mediated by Oman. However, these talks collapsed after the United States, alongside Israel, launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Before the war between Israel and Iran, Oman mediated five rounds of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington. However, they faced substantial problems, such as Iran's uranium enrichment, which Western powers seek to bring down to zero to reduce the possibility of weaponization.
US
US withdrew from nuclear deal in 2018
The three European countries, together with China and Russia, are the only remaining signatories to a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which lifted sanctions on the Middle Eastern country in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. The US withdrew from it in 2018. The E3 has stated that if nuclear talks between Iran and the US do not resume or yield substantial results, they will restore UN sanctions on Tehran through the "snapback mechanism" by the end of August.