Tasnim says, Tehran could hold nuclear negotiations with European powers next week

(Forelines) – According to Tasnim, Iran’s semi-official news agency, quoted by Reuters on Sunday that talks with Britain, France, Germany, and Iran on Tehran’s nuclear program might begin the next week. The three European nations had threatened to reimpose international sanctions on Iran if the discussions did not resume.

“The principle of talks has been agreed upon, but consultations are continuing on the time and place of the talks. The country in which the talks could be held next week has not been finalised,” as per Tasnim report, citing a source informed on the matter, according to Reuters.

For the first time since Israel, the president of the European Union’s foreign policy reached out to Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, a few days after the so-called E3 countries’ foreign ministries and the US destroyed Iran’s nuclear installations a month ago, the report on potential discussions was released, Reuters added.

According to Reuters, the three European nations are the only parties left to a 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran that removed sanctions on the Middle Eastern nation in exchange for limitations on its nuclear program. In 2018, the United States pulled out of the agreement.

The E3 has stated that if nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States that were in progress prior to the Israel-Iran air conflict do not continue or do not yield tangible outcomes, by the end of August, they will use the so-called “snapback mechanism” to reimpose U.N. sanctions on Tehran.

“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,” Araqchi stated, earlier this week, cited by Reuters.

As per Reuters report, the snapback mechanism may be used to reinstate United Nations sanctions prior to the U.N. Security Council resolution enshrining the accord expiring on October 18.

Oman mediated five rounds of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington prior to the Israel-Iran war, but they encountered significant obstacles like Iran’s uranium enrichment, which Western nations aim to eradicate to reduce the possibility of weaponization.

Tehran insists that its nuclear program is only intended for civilian use.