Tehran (TDI): Iran and three European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal will resume negotiations in Geneva tomorrow, Iranian state media reported.
The talks, involving Britain, France, Germany and the European Union, will be held at the level of deputy foreign ministers.
The meeting will mark the second round since Iran’s 12-day conflict with Israel in mid-June, a confrontation that also saw U.S. strikes against Iranian nuclear sites. The previous talks took place in Istanbul on July 25.
Tehran suspended cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog following the conflict, accusing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of failing to condemn Israeli and U.S. strikes on its facilities. The escalation derailed Iran’s negotiations with Washington, which had been due to enter their sixth round before the war erupted.
Read More: Iran Will Not Yield to US Pressure: Khamenei
The European trio have warned they could trigger the “snapback mechanism” under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which would reimpose UN sanctions lifted under the deal, unless Iran curtails its uranium enrichment and restores cooperation with inspectors. Iran disputes the legality of the move, arguing that European states have failed to uphold their commitments.
The JCPOA, signed in 2015 by Iran, the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia, offered Tehran sanctions relief in return for limits on its nuclear program. Washington’s unilateral withdrawal in 2018 under President Donald Trump, followed by the reimposition of U.S. sanctions, prompted Iran to scale back compliance, particularly in uranium enrichment.
Read More: Sanctions Loom as Iran, Europe Agree Fresh Talks
While London, Paris and Berlin reaffirmed their support for the accord after the U.S. exit, efforts to shield European companies from U.S. sanctions largely faltered, contributing to Iran’s ongoing economic crisis.
the European powers have reportedly offered to extend their October deadline for triggering snapback sanctions if Tehran resumes talks with Washington and re-engages with the IAEA. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, however, has dismissed the proposal, insisting the Europeans “have no right” to invoke the mechanism.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
