ISTANBUL: Iran and European powers held “serious, frank, and detailed” talks on Friday (Jul 25) over Tehran’s nuclear programme, as both sides seek to avoid a lapse of UN sanctions that could be automatically reimposed in October.
The meeting in Istanbul marked the first direct contact between Iranian officials and Western diplomats since last month’s Israeli and US airstrikes on Iran. It lasted about four hours at Iran’s consulate and was attended by representatives from the European Union and the E3 group: France, Britain, and Germany.
IRAN AND EUROPE EXCHANGE PROPOSALS
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said both sides presented specific ideas relating to nuclear inspections and sanctions relief.
“While seriously criticising their stances regarding the recent war of aggression against our people, we explained our principled positions, including on the so-called snapback mechanism,” he said. “It was agreed that consultations on this matter will continue.”
The E3 nations, along with China and Russia, remain parties to the 2015 nuclear deal from which the United States withdrew in 2018. That agreement had lifted international sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear activities.
SANCTIONS DEADLINE LOOMING
The talks focused on the expiry of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, which underpins the 2015 nuclear deal and is due to lapse on Oct 18.
If no action is taken by then, all UN sanctions on Iran will be lifted. However, the E3 could trigger the “snapback” mechanism at least 30 days before that date, reimposing sanctions on sectors including energy, banking, and defence.
To allow time for this process, European diplomats have set the end of August as a soft deadline to determine whether diplomacy with Iran can be revived. Officials say Tehran would need to make clear commitments, including eventual talks with Washington, renewed cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, and accounting for roughly 400 kg of near-weapons-grade uranium reportedly unaccounted for since last month’s strikes.
