Iran is set to meet with Britain, France, and Germany in Istanbul on Friday to resume discussions over its nuclear program, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced early Monday.
“The meeting between Iran, Britain, France, and Germany will take place at the deputy foreign minister level,” spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told Iranian state media.
The upcoming talks follow recent warnings from the three European countries—collectively known as the E3—that failure to restart negotiations could lead to the reimposition of international sanctions on Tehran. The urgency comes after the E3 foreign ministers and the European Union’s foreign policy chief held their first call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi since recent escalations.
The E3 nations have indicated they might invoke the “snapback mechanism” to restore United Nations sanctions on Iran by the end of August if meaningful progress isn’t made. This mechanism, part of the UN Security Council resolution endorsing the original nuclear deal, allows for the reimposition of sanctions if Iran is found to be non-compliant.
On Sunday, Araghchi took to social media platform X to caution the E3 against triggering the snapback mechanism. “If the EU/E3 want to have a role, they should act responsibly and put aside worn-out policies of threat and pressure, including the ‘snapback’ for which they lack absolutely moral and legal ground,” he wrote.
“The E3 must refrain from any action that would only deepen divisions in the Security Council or have serious adverse consequences on its work,” Araghchi added, emphasizing that Iran is ready for “meaningful diplomacy” but will resist hostile measures.
Before the recent tensions, Tehran and Washington had engaged in five rounds of nuclear talks mediated by Oman. However, significant obstacles remained, particularly concerning Iran’s uranium enrichment activities, which Western powers aim to minimize to reduce the risk of weaponization. Iran insists its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes.
The snapback mechanism could be activated before the UN Security Council resolution enshrining the nuclear deal expires on October 18.
