Iran will hold nuclear talks with European nations in Turkey, first since ceasefire with Israel
The talks, to be held in Istanbul on Friday, will be the first since a ceasefire was reached after a 12-day war waged by Israel against Iran in June, which also saw the United States strike nuclear-related facilities in the Islamic Republic. A similar meeting had been held in the Turkish city in May.
The discussions will bring Iranian officials together with officials from Britain, France and Germany — known as the E3 nations — and will include the European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas.
'The topic of the talks is clear, lifting sanctions and issues related to the peaceful nuclear programme of Iran," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said in his weekly briefing. He said the meeting will be held at the deputy ministerial level.
Under a 2015 deal designed to cap Iran's nuclear activities, Iran agreed to tough restrictions on its international programme in exchange for an easing of sanctions.
The deal began to unravel in 2018, when the United States pulled out of it and began to reimpose certain sanctions. European countries have recently threatened to trigger the 2015 deal's 'snapback' mechanism, which would allow sanctions to be reimposed in the case of non-compliance by Tehran.
German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Martin Giese, asked who Germany will send to the talks and what its expectations are, said that 'the talks are taking place at expert level'.
'Iran must never come into possession of a nuclear weapon,' so Germany, France and Britain are 'continuing to work... at high pressure on a sustainable and verifiable diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear programme,' he said. 'This course of action is also coordinated with the US.' 'It's very clear that, should no solution be reached by the end of August... snapback remains an option for the E3,' Giese told reporters in Berlin.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Sunday the three European nations lack 'any legal, political, and moral standing' to invoke such mechanisms, and accused Britain, France and Germany of failing to uphold their commitments in the deal.
'Attempting to trigger snapback' under these circumstances, in defiance of established facts and prior communications, constitutes an abuse of process that the international community must reject,' Araghchi said.
He also criticised the three European nations for 'providing political and material support to the recent unprovoked and illegal military aggression of the Israeli regime and the US'.
The US bombed three major Iranian nuclear sites in Iran in June as Israel waged an air war with Iran. Nearly 1,100 people were killed in Iran, including many military commanders and nuclear scientists, while 28 were killed in Israel.
Araghchi stressed in the letter that his country is ready for diplomatic solutions.
After US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the 2015 deal, Iran has gradually increased its nuclear activities, including enriching uranium up to 60%, a step away from weapons-grade nuclear materials, or 90% enrichment of uranium.
Iran denies allegations it is seeking a nuclear weapon and has long said its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
5 minutes ago
- First Post
US slams France's criminal investigation into Elon Musk's X amid foreign interference concerns
Paris cybercrime prosecutors called for the police probe July 11 to investigate suspected crimes – including manipulating and extracting data from automated systems 'as part of a criminal gang.' read more An illustration photograph taken on February 20, 2025 shows the X account of Elon Musk displayed on a phone screen next to the X logo displayed on a laptop screen, in a residential property in Guildford, south of London. AFP US officials issued a harsh condemnation Friday of France's criminal investigation into the social network X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, on suspicion of foreign interference. 'As part of a criminal investigation, an activist French prosecutor is requesting information on X's proprietary algorithm and has classified X as an 'organized crime group,'' the US State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor wrote on their X account. 'Democratic governments should allow all voices to be heard, not silence speech they dislike. The United States will defend the free speech of all Americans against acts of foreign censorship.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Paris cybercrime prosecutors called for the police probe July 11 to investigate suspected crimes – including manipulating and extracting data from automated systems 'as part of a criminal gang.' The social media company last week denied the allegations, calling them 'politically motivated.' X also said it had refused to comply with the prosecutor's request to access its recommendation algorithm and real-time data. The investigation follows two January complaints that alleged the X algorithm had been used for foreign interference in French politics. One of the complaints came from Eric Bothorel, an MP from President Emmanuel Macron's centrist party, who complained of 'reduced diversity of voices and options' and Musk's 'personal interventions' in the platform's management since he took it over. X said it 'categorically denies' all allegations and that the probe 'is distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda and, ultimately, restrict free speech.' Tesla and SpaceX chief Musk has raised hackles with his forays into European politics, including vocal backing for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of February legislative elections. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Democracy is too fragile to let digital platform owners tell us what to think, who to vote for or even who to hate,' Bothorel said after the investigation was announced.
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
5 minutes ago
- First Post
Not covered in FTA, carbon tax may spoil in India-UK free trade mood; here's why
Britain's proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is not included in the FTA with India because London has not yet formally notified the tax. read more The free trade agreement between India and the UK does not cover Britain's proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). However, officials stated on Friday (July 25) that if such a tax is introduced later, India will have the right to take measures to offset its impact on domestic exports, reported Economic Times. The CBAM is not included in the agreement because Britain has not yet formally notified the tax. In December 2023, the UK announced plans to implement the CBAM starting in 2027. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The issue was raised during negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). 'If it is implemented and negates the trade benefits of India under the agreement, India will have the freedom to rebalance it. We can take counterbalancing measures. This much understanding has been made in the form of note verbale,' an official was quoted as saying by the ET.. A note verbale refers to a diplomatic communication exchanged between two countries. 'There is an understanding that in case the UK make it effective against India in future, then we will also have the right to take counterbalance measures… India can take away the concessions and there will be a mechanism for that,' the official further noted. India is also engaged in discussions with the European Union, which is planning its own CBAM. The two parties are negotiating a trade agreement, expected to be finalised this year. India has labelled the CBAM as a trade barrier. A carbon tax is considered a non-tariff barrier. The European Union has already implemented such a tax on imports exceeding a specific carbon emission threshold. For every tonne of excess carbon emission, a levy ranging from €1 to €100 per tonne is imposed. India and the United Kingdom (UK) signed the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on Thursday (July 24) during PM Narendra Modi's visit to the UK. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD New Delhi and London concluded talks in May to reach a bilateral Free Trade Agreement, discussions for which first began in January 2022. As per the British government estimates, the FTA will boost its GDP by £4.8 billion ($6.5 billion) annually. Indian exports to the UK are expected to double by 2030.


Hindustan Times
25 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
India to forge own path in global energy transition: Senior UN climate official
India will forge its own distinct pathway in the global energy transition, with the country emerging as a 'clean energy powerhouse' despite different challenges facing developing economies, a senior UN climate official said. Selwin Hart described India as 'extremely pivotal to multilateralism, sustainable development, and climate action,' noting that the country has traditionally been 'an extremely strong advocate for conveying the interests of the developing world.' (HT) Selwin Hart, special adviser to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on climate change, told HT in an interview on Thursday that India's transition strategy would differ significantly from other nations, particularly given its status as a net importer of fossil fuels. 'One of the things that we've been repeatedly saying, especially for developing and emerging economies that are fossil fuel producing nations, is that their transition pathways are going to be different,' Hart said. 'If you're a large fossil fuel producing nation, your transition pathway is going to be different than the transition pathway of a country that's a net importer of fossil fuels.' 'It is not a one size fits all approach. That being said, India is a clean energy powerhouse,' Hart said, emphasising that developing and emerging economies face unique challenges in their climate strategies. Hart highlighted how BRICS nations are stepping up climate action in the wake of the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. He noted that climate issues, previously absent from BRICS discussions, now feature prominently in the bloc's statements with 'extensive and very precise technical work' being undertaken. The UN official's comments follow his team's recent analysis suggesting fossil fuels are nearing 'the end of the road,' which prompted Guterres to deliver a special address declaring this 'the moment of energy transition.' India's renewable energy progress Hart described India as 'extremely pivotal to multilateralism, sustainable development, and climate action,' noting that the country has traditionally been 'an extremely strong advocate for conveying the interests of the developing world.' 'It's also an extremely large economy that is still developing, and will require huge amounts of energy,' Hart said, praising India's momentum towards its climate goals. He noted that 50% of the country's electricity capacity now comes from renewables. 'India is more than halfway to the 500 gigawatt goal set by PM Modi,' he said, expressing hope this progress would be reflected in India's nationally determined contribution (NDC) due before COP30. 'Because what we want to say, ambition cannot be imposed from outside. We will encourage as much as possible. We can't impose,' Hart said. 'But we hope that India, along with other major economies, put NDCs on the table that send the right signals to markets and to investors that the energy transition is unstoppable.' 'The potential for India to exploit its leadership on clean energy is absolutely enormous,' Hart said. Financial challenges loom However, Hart acknowledged that financing remains a critical challenge for developing countries preparing for COP30 in Brazil this November. Many nations face serious debt distress and lack fiscal space for adaptation and resilience investments. The COP29 and COP30 presidencies have established a circle of finance ministers to address these challenges. 'The world needs to understand that there needs to be a serious discussion on how to address the financing needs of developing countries,' Hart said. Despite US withdrawal from Paris Agreement, Hart said other major economies remain committed to multilateral climate action. He cited an April roundtable convened by Guterres and Brazilian President Lula, which included President Xi, European Commission President von der Leyen, and chairs of various regional groups including ASEAN, CARICOM, G20, and the African Union. All participants 'expressed firm commitment to multilateralism, to the Paris Agreement,' Hart said. The UN Secretary General has invited world leaders to announce new NDCs during an event on September 24, the second day of the General Assembly's high-level week. Hart said China and other countries have indicated they will present economy-wide NDCs covering all greenhouse gas emissions. Hart emphasised that renewable energy costs have reached historic lows with record deployments worldwide, contributing to a 'decoupling of GDP growth from emissions' that marks a departure from two centuries of carbon-intensive economic growth. On July 22, Guterres declared in a special address at UN headquarters: 'Fossil fuels are running out of road. The sun is rising in a clean energy age.'