Iran has agreed to reopen negotiations on its nuclear program with Germany, France and the United Kingdom, state television announced on Monday, July 21. A first meeting will be held on Friday July 25 in Istanbul, a month after the war between Iran to Israel and the United States.
“In response to the request of European countries, Iran has agreed to hold a new session of talks”said the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaïl Baghaï, quoted on Monday by state television.
A German diplomatic source said earlier than Berlin, Paris and London continued “To work intensively (…) To find a sustainable and verifiable diplomatic solution on the Iranian nuclear program ” And planned a meeting during the week.
“Iran has shown that it was able to defeat [aux attaques] But has always been ready for real, reciprocal and good faith diplomacy ”wrote Iranian Foreign Minister on X on Sunday, Abbas Araghthchi.
Iran is suspected by the Western countries and by Israel to want to have the atomic bomb, which it denies by stressing its right to pursue a nuclear program for civil ends.
Meeting a supreme guide advisor with Putin
On June 13, Israel had launched a surprise attack by bombing Iran and killing its main military officials and scientists related to its nuclear program. The United States joined the offensive of its Israeli ally by hitting three nuclear sites on the night of June 21 to 22.
Since these strikes ordered by the American president, Donald Trump, the discussions were suspended. The last meeting between representatives of the E3 (Germany, France, United Kingdom) and Iran had held in Geneva on June 21, a few hours before the American bombings.
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At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin received on Sunday at the Kremlin Ali Larijani, a close adviser to the Iranian supreme guide, Ali Khamenei, to discuss the nuclear file. Mr. LARIJANI “Has transmitted assessments of the situation that worsens in the Middle East and concerning the Iranian nuclear program”said spokesperson for the Russian presidency Dmitri Peskov.
Mr. Putin expressed the “Well -known Russia positions on how to stabilize the situation in the region and on the political regulations of the Iranian nuclear program”he added. This meeting in Moscow had not been announced beforehand.
Russia has good relations with Iran, considered its main ally in the Middle East, but did not argue Tehran in its recent war with Israel, or after American strikes on nuclear sites.
Last week, Moscow castigated an article in the American media Axios according to which Putin would have “Encouraged” Iran to accept an agreement with Washington which would prevent Tehran from enriching uranium.
Threat of “snap-back” by Europeans
Iran, several Western powers, China and Russia had reached an agreement in 2015 which provided for the establishment of important restrictions on the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions targeting the country. But the United States released in 2018, during Donald Trump’s first mandate, of this negotiated agreement, and had reposed sanctions.
Tehran and Washington had held several series of nuclear negotiations through Omani mediators before Israel launched his 12 -day war against Iran.
Recently, European countries have threatened to trigger the “snap-back” mechanism included in the 2015 agreement and which plans to impose sanctions if Iran is lacking in its commitments.
The head of Iranian diplomacy had a telephone interview last week with his British, French and German counterparts, as well as with the head of the European Union diplomacy, Kaja Kallas.
During this call, European diplomats informed Mr. Araghchi to “Their determination to use the” snap-back “mechanism, in the absence of concrete progress” Towards a new agreement on the Iranian nuclear program. The Iranian Minister had denied any basis on Friday “Moral or legal” to this threat.
