Iran and European powers resume nuclear talks in Istanbul
Iran's nuclear negotiators and deputy foreign ministers, Kazem Gharibabadi and Majid Takht-Ravanchi, met in closed-door discussions with political directors from the foreign ministries of the UK, France and Germany at the Iranian consulate in Istanbul.
These were the first in-person talks between Iran and the European countries, known as the E3, since the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June, and subsequent US air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
Last Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told foreign ministers from the E3 that they have no grounds to reactivate UN sanctions after they threatened to do so unless there is progress in nuclear talks.
Speaking in Tehran on Thursday night, Mr Araghchi said his country's positions would be 'completely clear" in Friday's talks. "The Islamic Republic of Iran, while advancing its peaceful nuclear programme, has always been ready to adopt confidence-building measures", he added.
'Especially after the recent war, it is important for them [the E3] to understand that the Islamic Republic of Iran's position remains unshakable, and that our uranium enrichment will continue', the Tasnim news agency quoted Mr Araghchi as saying.
The negotiations centre on the so-called snapback mechanism, which would allow remaining parties to the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers to reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran that are due to expire in the autumn.
While the US left the 2015 nuclear deal in President Donald Trump 's first term, the E3, as well as China and Russia, are still parties to the agreement. In the deal's dispute resolution clauses, any of those parties can trigger a unilateral reimposition of UN sanctions, which include arms embargoes, asset freezes and restrictions on Iran's missile and nuclear programmes.
Iranian officials have claimed repeatedly that European nations do not have the right to reimpose UN sanctions because they breached commitments under the 2015 deal and adopted what Tehran saw as pro-Israeli stances during the war in June.
If the snapback process is not used and UN embargoes expire in October, Iran could in theory advance its nuclear programme without international restrictions, although remaining US sanctions would likely still complicate any such efforts.
Clock ticking on sanctions
Analysts and diplomats have said European powers could offer Iran an extension to the deadline. Without one, Germany, France and the UK must decide whether to activate the snapback process 30 days before the curbs expire completely on October 18.
An extension would allow time for negotiations between Tehran and Washington in an attempt to reach a deal over Iran's nuclear programme, and impose limits on that activity in exchange for sanctions relief. Such a move would probably come in exchange for commitments from Iran to co-operate with international nuclear inspectors and re-engage in talks with the US.
Iran said this week that it agreed to host a technical team from the UN nuclear watchdog to discuss future co-operation, while cautiously signalling openness to renewed talks with the US.
The development comes after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian this month ended co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and said it could only be restored if the agency addressed Tehran's concerns over perceived bias.
"A snapback extension remains a difficult means to an even more difficult end – securing new US-Iran negotiations and a new nuclear deal," Ellie Geranmayeh, a senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, wrote in an analysis on the snapback mechanism this week. "But Europeans need to be fully invested in this process."
Iranian officials have voiced scepticism over an extension. 'We oppose it,' Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told state media on Friday. The talks in Istanbul are an opportunity for European countries 'to make up for their previous unconstructive approaches that have tarnished Europe's credibility', he added.
Iran and the US held five rounds of negotiations in Rome and Oman this year, before a sixth round was cancelled when Israel attacked Iran in June.
The talks had also faltered over Iran's rights to uranium enrichment, which Tehran wants to continue, with possible limits. The US position hardened during the talks and Washington wants to deny Iran any nuclear enrichment capacity under a deal.
Tehran insists its nuclear programme is for strictly peaceful purposes and denies seeking to develop a bomb. But uranium enrichment levels of up to 60 per cent, far exceeding the needs of civilian purposes, have raised suspicions in the West that Iran wants to build a weapon.
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