Iran and E3 diplomats meet in Istanbul amid nuclear tensions

Iran and the E3 group—France, Britain, and Germany—have begun talks in Istanbul, the first since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Tehran has dismissed Western pressure and insists its nuclear stance remains unchanged.

Delegations gathered at Iran's consulate in Istanbul on Friday morning for high-level discussions between Iranian negotiators and senior diplomats from France, Britain, and Germany, known as the E3. It is the first such meeting since the June strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities by the U.S. and Israel.

The talks aim to gauge whether Tehran is open to compromise to avoid further sanctions. But ahead of the meeting, Iran made clear it sees the session as a chance for the E3 to “correct their positions”.

“Our uranium enrichment will continue; we will not give up this right of the Iranian people,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a video aired by state media.

He described the talks as “a continuation of previous discussions” and said Iran’s position is “clear and unchanged.”

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei reinforced that stance, telling state news agency IRNA that Iran considers talk of extending the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 “meaningless and baseless.” The resolution, which underpins the 2015 nuclear deal and the mechanism for restoring U.N. sanctions, is set to expire in October.

The renewed dialogue comes amid increasing diplomatic and economic pressure on Iran and broader concerns about stability in the region.

Iran has always denied it has a nuclear weapons programme.

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