European powers plan fresh nuclear talks with Iran this week

BERLIN: Britain, France and Germany are planning to hold fresh talks with Iran on its nuclear programme in the coming days, a German diplomatic source told AFP on Sunday.

The European powers, known as the E3, “are in contact with Iran to schedule further talks for the coming week”, the source said, following warnings from the trio that international sanctions against Iran could be reactivated if Tehran does not resume negotiations.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency also reported that Tehran had agreed to hold talks with the three European countries, citing an unnamed source.

Consultations are ongoing regarding a date and location for the talks, the report said.

PUT ASIDE THREAT AND PRESSURE

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a call Friday with his British, French and German counterparts and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

During the call, the Europeans warned that if Iran did not return to talks soon, they would activate a so-called “snapback” mechanism to reimpose sanctions lifted in a 2015 deal to curb Tehran’s nuclear output.

However, Araghchi told his European counterparts that they have no grounds for reactivating UN sanctions after they threatened to do so in the coming months unless there is progress in nuclear talks.

“If EU/E3 want to have a role, they should act responsibly and put aside the worn-out policies of threat and pressure, including the ‘snap-back’ for which they (have) absolutely no moral (or) legal grounds,” Araghchi said on X.