Iran, European powers agree on continued talks at Istanbul meeting
ISTANBUL
Iranian diplomats met counterparts from Germany, Britain and France on July 25 for renewed nuclear talks, amid warnings that the three European powers could trigger "snapback" sanctions outlined under the 2015 deal.
The meeting in Istanbul was the first since Israel's mid-June attack on Iran, which sparked a 12-day war and targeted key nuclear and military sites.
The European diplomats were seen leaving the Iranian consulate in the city, the venue for the talks, shortly before 2:00 pm (11:00 GMT), after several hours inside. The closed-door discussions lasted for over three hours.
Following the meeting, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who attended the talks in Istanbul, said that Tehran held a “serious, frank, and detailed” discussion with European powers about sanctions relief and the nuclear issue, in which both sides presented specific ideas.
He added that Iran reiterated its principled positions, including on the snapback sanctions mechanism and that it was agreed that consultations on the matter would continue.
Israel's offensive, which killed top commanders, nuclear scientists and hundreds of others as residential areas were struck as well, also derailed U.S.-Iran nuclear talks that began in April.
Since then, the European powers, known as the E3, have threatened to trigger the "snapback mechanism,” which would reinstate U.N. sanctions on Iran by the end of August, under the moribund 2015 nuclear deal.
The option to trigger the snapback expires in October and Tehran has warned of consequences should the E3 opt to activate it.
"Inaction by the E3 is not an option," a European source said, noting that Tehran would be reminded during the meeting that the snapback window closes within months.
Ahead of the talks on July 25, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the meeting would be a "test of realism for the Europeans and a valuable opportunity to correct their views on Iran's nuclear issue,” in remarks to the official IRNA news agency.
