logo
EU says ready to facilitate return to Iran nuclear talks

EU says ready to facilitate return to Iran nuclear talks

Arab News13 hours ago
BRUSSELS: The EU's top diplomat told Iran's foreign minister Tuesday that Brussels is willing to facilitate a return to negotiations on Iran's nuclear program after US and Israeli strikes.
'Negotiations on Iran's nuclear program should restart as soon as possible' and 'cooperation' with the International Atomic Energy Agency must resume, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X after a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
'The EU is ready to facilitate this.'
Kallas further warned Tehran that 'any threats to pull out of the non-proliferation treaty don't help to lower tensions.'
The call came after Aragchi ruled out a quick resumption of talks with the United States and said Tehran will first need assurances it will not be attacked again.
The United States and Iran were holding nuclear talks when Israel hit Iranian nuclear sites and military infrastructure. The United States joined the assault by bombing three nuclear sites — Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — on June 21.
The EU has long sought to play a mediation role with Iran.
The 27-nation bloc was a signatory — and facilitator — of a 2015 deal between Iran and international powers over Tehran's nuclear program.
US President Donald Trump abandoned that deal in 2018.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UN: Iran Aid Budget Will Need to Double Post-War
UN: Iran Aid Budget Will Need to Double Post-War

Asharq Al-Awsat

time35 minutes ago

  • Asharq Al-Awsat

UN: Iran Aid Budget Will Need to Double Post-War

The most senior UN official in Iran said Tuesday the organization's humanitarian and development aid budget to the country would need to be doubled following the war with Israel. Stefan Priesner, the UN resident coordinator in Iran, said he hoped the international community would step up with more funding. 'We are now doing the budgeting' for 2025, he told a press briefing in Geneva. 'It's a significant increase,' he said. 'It's a bit early to say how much we exactly need. But we certainly would expect a doubling of the funding.' He said that last year's UN budget for development and humanitarian affairs in Iran was $75 million -- roughly $50 million for refugees and $25 million for the development program. Iran hosts the largest number of refugees in the world -- around 3.5 million -- most of them from Afghanistan. Speaking from Tehran, Priesner said he hoped aid and development would be seen as separate from other issues and the situation would trigger the international community to increase its support, according to AFP. Priesner indicated that the UN normally has 50 international staff in Iran and about 500 local staff. Although some employees and their families had to leave their homes when Israel's bombardment began, he said normal operations had resumed on Sunday. On June 13, Israel launched a major bombing campaign against Iran, killing top military commanders and nuclear scientists. The Israeli strikes hit military bases, nuclear sites and residential areas across Iran. Iran retaliated with waves of missiles and drone strikes, hitting cities in Israel. US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between the two sides on June 24. Priesner said that in 2022, the UN and the Iranian government agreed a five-year program on public health, socio-economic resilience, environmental protection, disaster reduction and management, and drug control. The UN is now in talks with Tehran on 'how to adapt the program to meet emerging needs' following the conflict with Israel.

Iran Warns Against ‘Destructive Approach' of European Countries
Iran Warns Against ‘Destructive Approach' of European Countries

Asharq Al-Awsat

time36 minutes ago

  • Asharq Al-Awsat

Iran Warns Against ‘Destructive Approach' of European Countries

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned in a phone call with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas against what he called the "destructive approach" of several European countries, he said in a statement on Telegram on Tuesday. Araqchi also criticized the stance of some European countries over the recent air war between Israel and Iran, saying it was supportive of Israel and the United States. He did not specify which countries he had in mind. Kallas said after the call that "negotiations on ending Iran's nuclear program should restart as soon as possible". In a post on social media platform X, the EU's top diplomat said cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency "must resume" and that the bloc is ready to facilitate. "Any threats to pull out of the non-proliferation treaty don't help to lower tensions," she added.

Two US Sources: Iran Made Preparations to Mine Strait of Hormuz
Two US Sources: Iran Made Preparations to Mine Strait of Hormuz

Asharq Al-Awsat

time37 minutes ago

  • Asharq Al-Awsat

Two US Sources: Iran Made Preparations to Mine Strait of Hormuz

The Iranian military loaded naval mines onto vessels in the Arabian Gulf last month, a move that intensified concerns in Washington that Tehran was gearing up to blockade the Strait of Hormuz following Israel's strikes on sites across Iran, two US officials told Reuters on Tuesday. The previously unreported preparations, which were detected by US intelligence, occurred some time after Israel launched its initial missile attack against Iran on June 13, said the officials, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters. The loading of the mines - which have not been deployed in the strait - suggests that Tehran may have been serious about closing one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, a move that would have escalated an already-spiraling conflict and severely hobbled global commerce. About one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz and a blockage would likely have spiked world energy prices. Global benchmark oil prices have instead fallen more than 10% since the US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, driven in part by relief that the conflict did not trigger significant disruptions in the oil trade. On June 22, shortly after the US bombed three of Iran's key nuclear sites in a bid to cripple Tehran's nuclear program, Iran's parliament reportedly backed a measure to block the strait. That decision was not binding, and it was up to Iran's Supreme National Security Council to make a final decision on the closure, Iran's Press TV said at the time. Iran has over the years threatened to close the strait but has never followed through on that threat. Reuters was not able to determine precisely when during the Israel-Iran air war Tehran loaded the mines, which - if deployed - would have effectively stopped ships from moving through the key thoroughfare. It is also unclear if the mines have since been unloaded. The sources did not disclose how the United States determined that the mines had been put on the Iranian vessels, but such intelligence is typically gathered through satellite imagery, clandestine human sources or a combination of both methods. Asked for comment about Iran's preparations, a White House official said: 'Thanks to the President's brilliant execution of Operation Midnight Hammer, successful campaign against the Houthis, and maximum pressure campaign, the Strait of Hormuz remains open, freedom of navigation has been restored, and Iran has been significantly weakened.' The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Iranian mission at the United Nations also did not respond to requests for comment. The two officials said the US government has not ruled out the possibility that loading the mines was a ruse. The Iranians could have prepared the mines to convince Washington that Tehran was serious about closing the strait, but without intending to do so, the officials said. Iran's military could have also simply been making necessary preparations in the event that Iran's leaders gave the order. The Strait of Hormuz lies between Oman and Iran and links the Arabian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond. It is 21 miles (34 km) wide at its narrowest point, with the shipping lane just 2 miles wide in either direction. Iran exports most of its crude through the passage, which in theory limits Tehran's appetite to shut the strait. But Tehran has nonetheless dedicated significant resources to making sure it can do so if it deems necessary. As of 2019, Iran maintained more than 5,000 naval mines, which could be rapidly deployed with the help of small, high-speed boats, the US Defense Intelligence Agency estimated at the time. The US Fifth Fleet, which is based in Bahrain, is charged with protecting commerce in the region. The US Navy has typically kept four mine countermeasure vessels, or MCM vessels, in Bahrain, though those ships are being replaced by another type of vessel called a littoral combat ship, or LCS, which also has anti-mine capabilities. All anti-mine ships had been temporarily removed from Bahrain in the days leading up to the US strikes on Iran in anticipation of a potential retaliatory attack on Fifth Fleet headquarters. Ultimately, Iran's immediate retaliation was limited to a missile attack on a US military base in nearby Qatar. US officials, however, have not ruled out further retaliatory measures by Iran.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store