Istanbul, Turkey – Britain, France, and Germany, collectively known as the E3, are set to hold fresh talks with Iran on its nuclear program this coming Friday in Istanbul, a German diplomatic source informed AFP on Sunday. This development follows warnings from the European trio that international sanctions against Iran could be reactivated if Tehran does not resume negotiations on its nuclear program.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency also reported that Tehran has agreed to these talks, citing an unnamed source, and consultations are ongoing regarding the exact date and location.
The move comes after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a call on Friday with his British, French, and German counterparts, along with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. During this call, the European powers underscored that if Iran did not return to talks soon, they would activate a “snapback” mechanism. This mechanism, part of the 2015 nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – JCPOA), allows signatories to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran if it is found in violation of the agreement.
Iran and the United States had engaged in several rounds of nuclear negotiations through Omani mediators before Israel launched its 12-day war against Iran on June 13. However, US President Donald Trump’s decision to join Israel in striking Iranian nuclear facilities effectively ended those talks.
A German diplomatic source reiterated the E3’s stance, stating, “Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. That is why Germany, France and the United Kingdom are continuing to work intensively in the E3 format to find a sustainable and verifiable diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear programme.” Iran, however, consistently denies that it is pursuing nuclear weapons, maintaining that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
The 2015 JCPOA placed significant restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. However, the hard-won deal began to unravel in 2018 when the United States withdrew from it during Trump’s first presidency and reimposed sanctions on Iran.
The German source warned that “if no solution is reached over the summer, snapback remains an option for the E3,” indicating the urgency of the upcoming discussions. Iran, for its part, has dismissed the E3’s threats to trigger the snapback, with Foreign Minister Araghchi stating on X that the European allies “lack absolutely no moral and legal ground” for such actions, particularly after their perceived support for recent US and Israeli military actions against Iran.
Meanwhile, Iran is also reportedly hosting Russian and Chinese officials on Tuesday for separate talks concerning its nuclear program and the snapback mechanism, as it seeks to coordinate a response to Western pressure. Iran has progressively increased its nuclear activities, including enriching uranium to 60%, since the US withdrawal from the JCPOA.
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