Iran Nuclear Talks With European Powers to Be Held in Geneva

AFP/APP

Tehran: Nuclear talks scheduled for Tuesday between Iran and Britain, France and Germany will be held in Geneva, Iranian state media reported.

“On Tuesday, Iran and the three European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal, along with the European Union, will hold a new round of talks at the level of deputy foreign ministers in Geneva,” state television said on Monday.

This will be the second round since Iran’s 12-day war with Israel in mid-June, during which the United States carried out strikes against Tehran’s nuclear facilities. The previous meeting was held in Istanbul on July 25.

The talks come after Iran suspended cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, blaming the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for failing to condemn Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear facilities. The unprecedented bombing by Israel and Iran’s retaliation derailed Tehran’s negotiations with Washington.

Britain, France and Germany have threatened to trigger the “snapback mechanism” under the 2015 nuclear deal, which would reimpose UN sanctions unless Iran curbs uranium enrichment and restores cooperation with IAEA inspectors. Tehran disputes the legality of invoking the clause, accusing the Europeans of failing to honour their commitments.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed in 2015 by Iran, the US, UK, France, Germany, China and Russia, granted Tehran sanctions relief in return for limits on its nuclear programme to prevent it from developing a weapon — something Iran has always denied seeking.

Washington’s unilateral withdrawal from the accord in 2018 under President Donald Trump, followed by the reimposition of sweeping US sanctions, prompted Iran to roll back on its commitments, particularly uranium enrichment.

At the time, London, Paris and Berlin reaffirmed their support for the deal, pledging to maintain trade with Iran. However, their mechanism to bypass US sanctions largely failed, forcing many Western firms to exit the Iranian market, which continues to suffer from high inflation and economic crisis.

The deadline for activating the snapback mechanism expires in October, but according to the Financial Times, the Europeans have offered an extension if Iran resumes talks with Washington and re-engages with the IAEA.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has rejected the move, insisting the Europeans “have no right” to trigger the mechanism.