Iran is set to engage in nuclear discussions on Tuesday with Britain, France, and Germany in Geneva, as confirmed by Iranian state media.
“Iran, alongside the three European signatories of the 2015 nuclear agreement and the European Union, will conduct a new round of negotiations at the deputy foreign ministers’ level in Geneva on Tuesday,” reported state TV on Monday.
This meeting will mark the second since Iran’s 12-day conflict with Israel in mid-June, during which the United States targeted Tehran’s nuclear sites. The previous discussions occurred in Istanbul on July 25.
This follows Iran’s decision to halt collaboration with the UN nuclear watchdog after the conflict with Israel, citing the International Atomic Energy Agency’s lack of condemnation of Israeli and US attacks on its nuclear sites.
The intense bombing by Israel and Iran’s subsequent retaliation during the 12-day conflict disrupted Tehran’s nuclear talks with Washington.
The European nations have warned they might activate a “snapback mechanism” from the 2015 nuclear deal to reimpose UN sanctions lifted under the agreement unless Iran limits its uranium enrichment and resumes cooperation with IAEA inspectors.
Iran challenges the legality of this clause’s activation, accusing the Europeans of failing to fulfill their agreement obligations.
In 2015, Britain, France, and Germany, along with China, Russia, and the United States, reached the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran.
This accord offered Iran relief from sanctions in return for restrictions on its nuclear program to ensure Tehran could not develop nuclear weapons, a claim it has always denied.
However, the US’s unilateral exit from the deal in 2018 under President Donald Trump, coupled with the reapplication of severe economic sanctions, led Iran to retract its commitments, especially concerning uranium enrichment.
After the US withdrew, London, Paris, and Berlin reaffirmed their dedication to the agreement and aimed to continue trading with Iran. Consequently, UN and European sanctions weren’t reinstated, even as Trump reinstated US sanctions.
The mechanism proposed by European countries to counter US sanctions has faced difficulties, forcing many Western companies to exit Iran, which is grappling with high inflation and an economic crisis.
The deadline for the snapback mechanism’s activation ends in October, but as per the Financial Times, the Europeans have proposed extending this deadline if Iran renews nuclear talks with Washington and re-engages with the IAEA.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has declared that Europeans lack the authority to enforce this.
