Germany, France, and the United Kingdom warned Iran’s regime that it must immediately resume diplomatic talks regarding its nuclear program and declared that if no concrete steps are taken within the next six weeks, they will reinstate United Nations sanctions against Tehran.
Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister of Iran’s regime, stated on Friday, July 18, referring to his joint discussion with the foreign ministers of the three European countries and the EU foreign policy chief on Thursday evening, that the start of negotiations is conditional upon the United States’ readiness for a deal that is “fair, balanced, and beneficial for both parties.”
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Araghchi said that during the discussion, he emphasized that Europe must act “responsibly” to play a positive role and abandon “outdated policies of threats and pressure, including the snapback mechanism.”
According to Reuters, the foreign ministers of these three European countries, known as the E3 (European Troika), along with the EU foreign policy chief, held a phone call with Iran’s foreign minister for the first time since the mid-June U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
A French diplomatic source told Reuters that during the call, Iran’s regime was urged to immediately resume diplomatic efforts toward a “verifiable and sustainable” nuclear agreement.
These three countries, along with China and Russia, are the remaining signatories to the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran (JCPOA), a deal that lifted sanctions against the country in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.
The UN Security Council resolution recognizes the agreement is set to expire on October 18, but under its provisions, sanctions can be reinstated even before that date. The implementation of this process takes approximately 30 days.
European countries have repeatedly warned that if a new agreement is not reached, they will trigger the “snapback” mechanism, a process through which all previous UN sanctions against Iran would be reimposed.
Since the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran during the 12-day war, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have left the country.
Although officials of Iran’s regime have indicated a willingness to return to diplomacy, there are no signs of an imminent resumption of the sixth round of nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Iran’s regime is very eager to negotiate, but he is in no hurry to talk with Tehran.
Diplomats say that even if talks resume, reaching a comprehensive agreement before the end of August — the final deadline set by the Europeans — does not seem realistic, especially given the absence of inspectors who can assess the remaining state of Iran’s nuclear program.
Two European diplomats have stated that they hope to reach a joint strategy with the United States in the coming days, in order to enable negotiations with Iran’s regime in the near future.
