Iran agrees to nuclear talks with European powers

Iranian state media outlet reports that Tehran and three key European powers have agreed to resume nuclear talks – without setting a timetable for negotiations.

By World Israel News Staff

Iran and three European powers have agreed to conduct negotiations aimed at achieving a new nuclear deal, an Iranian semi-official media outlet reported over the weekend.

Citing “an informed source,” the Tasnim News Agency, a mouthpiece of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported Sunday afternoon that the European E3 nations – including Britain, France, and Germany – have reached an agreement with Tehran for new nuclear deal talks.

The report claimed that Iran has requested the three countries work toward sanctions relief for Iran amid threats to restore sanctions lifted under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

The sanctions relief is set to sunset under the deal this summer, enabling the three European powers to restore restrictions imposed by the United Nations Security Council.

According to Sunday’s report, no decision has been reached regarding either the timing of the talks between Iran and the E3 or which country would host them.

Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone with his counterparts from France, Germany, and Britain, with the four agreeing that should Iran fail to reach a new nuclear agreement by the end of August, the E3 will begin restoring sanctions.

Under the snapback mechanism of the 2015 deal, UN Security Council-imposed sanctions will begin to be restored by the end of August, continuing on through October.

However, with Russia poised to rotate as president of the Security Council for October, the E3 powers reportedly agreed to accelerate the process of restoring sanctions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi blasted the “snapback” sanctions last week and urged European leaders to abandon threats of restored sanctions.

“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 lack absolutely [any] moral and legal ground,” he said.