Iran to begin nuke talks with European powers in Istanbul Friday

Iran announces that it has agreed to begin nuclear talks with Britain, France and Germany this Friday in Istanbul after the three countries threatened to reimpose sanctions lifted a decade ago.

By World Israel News Staff

Nuclear talks between Iran and three key European powers will begin this Friday in Istanbul, with a deadline looming for a new atomic deal to prevent the snapping back of sanctions lifted a decade ago.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced early Monday morning that Tehran has agreed to enter into talks with France, Germany and Britain – collectively known as the E3 – starting this Friday in Istanbul.

“The meeting between Iran, Britain, France and Germany will take place at the deputy foreign minister level,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said.

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.

Days later, on Thursday, the French, German and British foreign ministers spoke by phone with Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister. The call marked the first time any of the three had spoken with Iran’s top diplomat since the 12-day Israeli air campaign last month against Iran’s nuclear program.

Aragchi last week decried threats by the European Union and the E3 to “snap back” sanctions on Iran that were lifted in 2015, should no new nuclear deal be reached by the end of August.

“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 ‘snapback’ for which they lack absolutely [any] moral and legal ground,” he said.

The announcement Monday comes hours after a senior Iranian military officer claimed that Tehran has rebuilt its air defense network.

“The Zionist enemy sought to destroy Iran’s defense capabilities, and some of our defense systems were damaged in this war,” Rear Admiral Mahmoud Mousavi told the Defa Press. “But with the efforts of my comrades, the damaged systems were replaced and deployed in predetermined locations.”