After weeks of rising tensions, Iran and European powers met face-to-face in Istanbul on Friday for “serious, frank, and detailed” nuclear talks—the first encounter since recent bombings in Iran.
Delegations from the European Union and the E3 group of France, Britain, and Germany convened at Iran’s consulate for four hours of discussions. The agenda: explore ways to revive the 2015 nuclear deal and negotiate potential sanctions relief.
Before the meeting, Iran pushed back on extending the key UN resolution set to expire on October 18. Without an extension or a triggered “snapback” mechanism at least 30 days prior, all UN sanctions on Iran would lift automatically.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said both sides presented “specific ideas on sanctions relief and the nuclear issue,” adding that Iran “seriously criticized their stances regarding the recent war of aggression” and outlined its principled positions on snapback.
The original deal—welcoming the involvement of China and Russia as remaining parties—had lifted sanctions in return for strict limitations on Iran’s nuclear activities. The E3 now aim to secure concrete steps from Iran by the end of August to justify extending the current deadline by up to six months.
As the clock ticks toward October 18, global energy markets and diplomatic relations hang in the balance. The next rounds of talks will test whether diplomacy can bridge deep divides and bring the 2015 deal back from the brink.
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Iran, Europeans hold 'frank' nuclear talks with UN sanctions looming
cgtn.com
