Iran says it has agreed with European diplomats to continue discussions on Tehran’s nuclear program after “serious, frank, and detailed” talks -- the first since the bombardment of Iranian nuclear and military sites by Israel and the United States -- during a meeting in Istanbul.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the discussions on July 25, which lasted around four hours, were held with his counterparts from Britain, France, and Germany (E3) as well as the European Union.
He wrote on X shortly after the meeting that the Iranians “seriously” criticized the Europeans for their position on the 12-day conflict with Israel last month.
“Both sides came to the meeting with specific ideas, the various aspects of which were examined. It was agreed that consultations on this matter will continue,” Gharibabadi wrote.
He added that the Europeans were informed of “our principled positions,” including on the E3’s threat to initiate the return of UN sanctions against Iran.
The E3 nations have warned that if a nuclear deal with Iran is not reached by the end of August, they will reinstate all UN sanctions against Iran by activating a so-called “snapback” mechanism of the 2015 nuclear deal.
Under the agreement -- the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) -- longstanding UN restrictions on arms sales, banking, and nuclear‑related technology were lifted ten years ago.
European governments still have the option to trigger the deal’s “snapback” mechanism before the October 15 deadline -- a step that would reinstate those sanctions and give them a narrow but meaningful source of leverage in ongoing negotiations.
European delegates at the July 25 meeting did not comment immediately on the talks.
A European source told RFE/RL last week that the E3 have offered to extend the deadline once, and only if there is meaningful progress in talks between Tehran and Washington.
Iran would also need to reconsider its move to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) -- a decision made in the wake of US and Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities last month.
Iran and the United States were scheduled to hold a new round of talks on June 15, but the meeting was scrapped due to the war. The two sides have yet to agree to meet, with Tehran saying it cannot trust Washington and the White House questioning whether there is any merit in further talks given the damage caused to Iran’s nuclear sites.
