Iran, Britain, France and Germany will hold nuclear talks in Istanbul on Friday, a spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said late on Sunday night.
“The meeting between Iran, Britain, France and Germany will take place at the deputy foreign minister level,” The spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, was quoted by Iranian state media as saying.
Earlier, a German diplomatic source confirmed that European powers are preparing to restart nuclear negotiations with Iran in the coming days, amid rising tensions following military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites by the United States and Israel.
A German diplomatic source confirmed Sunday that Britain, France, and Germany – known collectively as the E3 – are in contact with Tehran to arrange talks this week. Iran’s Tasnim news agency similarly reported Tehran’s agreement to participate, citing an unnamed source.
The German source emphasized the urgency of the talks, stating, “Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon,” and that the E3 is working to find “a sustainable and verifiable diplomatic solution.”
The United States launched strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure on June 22, targeting key facilities in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz. These came shortly after Israel’s 12-day military campaign, which began on June 13. The strikes effectively ended indirect US-Iran negotiations previously conducted via Omani mediators.
The Guardian reported recently that the European Union is poised to begin the process of reinstating UN sanctions on Iran, with an August 29 deadline set for Tehran to show progress on its nuclear program.
The E3, alongside China and Russia, are the remaining signatories to the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, which saw the lifting of sanctions in exchange for limitations on its nuclear activities.
The UN Security Council resolution underpinning this agreement is set to expire on October 18, with provisions allowing for the re-imposition of UN sanctions prior to this date, a process that would take approximately 30 days.
European officials have consistently cautioned that without a new nuclear agreement, they intend to activate the “snapback mechanism.” This mechanism would re-impose all prior UN sanctions on Iran should it be found in violation of the existing agreement’s terms.
The German source warned again on Sunday that if no progress is made during the summer, reactivating sanctions remains on the table.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned last week that European nations will impose “dramatic sanctions” on Iran in weeks if it doesn’t end nuclear uncertainty and allow UN inspectors to return.
Iran recently suspended its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), following a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, which saw unprecedented Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and significantly escalated tensions with the UN watchdog.
The Iranian government contends that a resolution passed last month by the board of the IAEA, which declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations, paved the way for the recent Israeli strikes.