Iran and the Three European Powers Agree to Resume Nuclear Talks?
WANA (Jul 20) – The Islamic Republic of Iran and the three European countries have agreed to restart negotiations.
According to some Iranian news agencies quoting an informed source, Tehran has reached an agreement with Germany, France, and the United Kingdom to hold talks focused on Iran’s nuclear program.
The source noted that while there is agreement on the principle of resuming negotiations, discussions about the time and venue are still ongoing. The location for the next round of talks has not yet been finalized.
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Previously, it had been reported that Iran was considering a European request to resume negotiations on the nuclear issue and sanctions relief.
Based on the available information, the talks are expected to take place at the deputy foreign minister level between Iran and the E3 countries.
Two days ago, a joint video conference was held between Iran, the foreign ministers of the E3, and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs.
Iran’s Foreign Minister’s Account of Joint Video Conference with European Officials / WANA News Agency
Following the meeting, Iran’s Foreign Minister stated: “If the European Union and the three European countries want to play a role, they must act responsibly.”
Araghchi wrote: “Last night, I had a joint video conference with the foreign ministers of the E3 and the EU’s foreign policy chief. I made the following points very clear:”
“It was the United States that withdrew from the agreement reached in 2015 after two years of coordinated negotiation with the EU — not Iran. It was the U.S. that walked away from the table this June and opted for military escalation — not Iran.”
“Any new round of negotiations will only be possible if the other side is genuinely prepared for a fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial agreement.”
“If the EU and the E3 intend to contribute constructively, they must abandon outdated policies of threats and pressure — including the threat to invoke the ‘snapback’ mechanism, which lacks any legal or moral basis.”
European Troika’s foreign ministers / WANA News Agency
On Thursday, July 17, the foreign ministers of the UK, France, and Germany, along with the EU foreign policy representative, held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, urging Iran to immediately return to nuclear negotiations. They warned that unless “tangible progress” is made by the end of summer, all international sanctions against Iran would be reinstated.
This was the first contact between European officials and Iran following the massive airstrikes by Israel and the United States on Iran in mid-June. France’s foreign ministry confirmed that the E3 ministers conveyed their determination to trigger the snapback mechanism during the call with Tehran.
In July 2015, Iran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the U.S., UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany, committing to limit its nuclear program. The UN Security Council endorsed the agreement via Resolution 2231, which included a “snapback” provision allowing reimposition of sanctions in case of Iranian violations.
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WANA (Jul 16) – The so-called “snapback mechanism” is a well-known term absent from the official text of the JCPOA, but it allows the restoration of UN Security Council sanctions on Iran within roughly 65 days. This piece outlines 12 key points about the complex dispute-resolution process, the steps to trigger snapback, and its risks […]
According to U.S. media, Resolution 2231 is set to expire in October 2025. As activating the snapback process requires a 30-day window, European parties are hoping to finalize this step before Russia assumes the rotating presidency of the Security Council in October. Both U.S. and European officials are using this clause as leverage in talks, while Iran considers the reactivation of sanctions legally baseless and has threatened to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in response.
On July 14 , U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held consultations with his European counterparts, setting the end of August as the final deadline for reaching a deal between Iran and the U.S. They stated that otherwise, the E3 would move to reimpose international sanctions on Iran.
However, some diplomats view these threats as unrealistic. Following last month’s U.S.-Israeli bombardment of Iran’s nuclear facilities, Iran halted cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and IAEA inspectors have since left the country. Even if talks resume immediately, it would be impossible to accurately assess the current state of Iran’s nuclear program.
Arak nuclear facility after U.S. strike. Social media/ WANA News Agency
Two European diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the E3 intends to coordinate its strategy with the U.S. in the coming days in an effort to swiftly resume nuclear talks with Iran.
Both Iran and the United States have expressed willingness to resume negotiations, but Iran is demanding assurances that the U.S. will not carry out further attacks during the talks. On July 11 , Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi emphasized that while Iran is ready to negotiate, it will not accept any agreement that fails to recognize its right to enrich uranium.
Under Omani mediation, Iran and the U.S. have held five rounds of indirect talks since April. However, major disagreements persist between the two sides. The sixth round, scheduled for June 14, was canceled following Israel’s surprise attack on Iran. During the 12 days of hostilities between Israel and Iran, the U.S. also struck Iranian nuclear facilities, prompting Iran to retaliate by launching missiles at the American al-Udeid airbase in Qatar.
