Iran will meet with European powers France, Germany, and the UK in Istanbul on Friday to discuss the future of the 2015 nuclear deal, amid renewed diplomatic signals from Tehran and concerns over sidelined European involvement in U.S.–Iran talks.
Iran has confirmed it will meet representatives from France, Germany, and the UK - the European troika (E3) - on Friday in Istanbul to discuss the 2015 nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA).
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told state media that the talks will also cover ongoing nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington. Originally scheduled for May 2 in Rome, both meetings were delayed for logistical reasons.
Last Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Muscat. The Istanbul meeting with the E3 follows Araghchi’s recent statements signalling Iran’s readiness to resume diplomacy with European powers.
“I am ready to take the first step with visits to Paris, Berlin and London,” Araghchi posted on X, renewing Tehran’s call for dialogue. He also criticised what he described as the EU’s “inaction and silence” in response to these overtures.
In an interview with Le Point, Araghchi warned European leaders against pursuing a “strategy of confrontation” that he said could risk sparking wider nuclear proliferation. He further cautioned against activating the UN “snapback” sanctions mechanism - a clause within the JCPoA that allows for sanctions to be reinstated if Iran is found in violation.
According to Araghchi, the mechanism is now being used as a diplomatic lever rather than as a last-resort dispute tool. The warning comes amid growing concern within the E3 over being sidelined in the current U.S.–Iran track.
In the early 2000s, the E3 led nuclear talks with Iran before the broader P5+1 format emerged, which brought in the U.S., Russia, and China. That framework eventually produced the JCPoA in 2015 and led to UN Resolution 2231, lifting sanctions in return for Iran’s nuclear commitments.
Now, the E3 is watching from the margins as bilateral U.S.–Iran talks advance. These latest meetings come weeks after a letter from President Donald Trump to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, signalling a new push from Washington.
Trump, who withdrew the U.S. from the deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, now faces scepticism in Europe about his commitment to transatlantic cooperation. That unease has grown as U.S.–Iran talks gain momentum while the E3 remains in the background.
Despite tensions, Iran is pushing to keep the European channel open. Araghchi, who played a central role in the original deal, is urging renewed cooperation amid warnings from the E3 about reintroducing UN sanctions when Resolution 2231 is reviewed this October.
While both Tehran and Washington have described recent discussions as “positive,” the outcome of Friday’s E3–Iran meeting may prove pivotal. Diplomats from Berlin, Paris, and London are expected to weigh whether a broader diplomatic track can still be revived.
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]The third annual AI Film Festival opened Thursday night in New York, offering a glimpse into what artificial intelligence can now do on the big screen.
A local dive team has solved a nearly 140-year-old maritime mystery by identifying the wreck of the SS Nantes off the coast of Devon.
India’s central bank made a bigger-than-expected interest rate cut, lowering the repo rate by half a percent to 5.5%, the lowest level in three years.
Twenty-two crew members were safely rescued after a cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles, including 800 electric cars, caught fire in the North Pacific near Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.
More than 40 suspects have been arrested in a massive international police operation targeting a drug gang accused of smuggling cocaine into Europe using high-speed “narco-boats.”
As peace talks progress, voices from Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Baku reveal hopes, concerns, and expectations for a future shaped by trade, trust, and generational change in the South Caucasus.
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Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has confirmed it carried out a third targeted attack against the Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, early Tuesday morning, marking a new escalation in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
A strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture early Monday, causing no reported injuries or damage, and no tsunami warning was issued, officials confirmed.
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine ended abruptly in Istanbul on Monday, lasting just over an hour amid mounting tensions following a major Ukrainian drone strike on Russian strategic bombers and renewed pressure from the U.S. for a breakthrough.
The first-ever high-level international conference on glacier melt has wrapped up in Dushanbe, bringing together more than 2,500 delegates from 80 countries.
Azerbaijan has unveiled plans to export renewable electricity to Türkiye through the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, with a projected capacity of up to 1 gigawatt.
Two Armenian teenagers who accidentally crossed into Azerbaijani territory have been safely returned, easing tensions after a brief border incident.
Global investors remained wary on Friday after a closely watched phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping failed to deliver concrete progress on trade. Chinese markets reflected the cautious sentiment, with modest declines across key indices.
Uzbekistan secured a place at the FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history, earning a landmark qualification following a 0-0 draw with the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
]The third annual AI Film Festival opened Thursday night in New York, offering a glimpse into what artificial intelligence can now do on the big screen.
A local dive team has solved a nearly 140-year-old maritime mystery by identifying the wreck of the SS Nantes off the coast of Devon.
India’s central bank made a bigger-than-expected interest rate cut, lowering the repo rate by half a percent to 5.5%, the lowest level in three years.
Twenty-two crew members were safely rescued after a cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles, including 800 electric cars, caught fire in the North Pacific near Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.
More than 40 suspects have been arrested in a massive international police operation targeting a drug gang accused of smuggling cocaine into Europe using high-speed “narco-boats.”
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