Iran, Europe to resume nuclear talks during sanctions threat

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and his French, British and German counterparts agreed on Friday to restart negotiations next week on nuclear and sanctions issues, according to Iranian state media.

The European powers have threatened to trigger the U.N.’s 'snapback' mechanism, re-imposing sanctions if Tehran refuses to commit to a verifiable deal limiting its enrichment activities.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul confirmed the talks, warning that time is running out for Iran to engage substantively.

Araqchi, however, denounced the European position as legally and morally invalid, cautioning against the consequences of such actions.

The dispute comes after the suspension of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in June, following Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities during a 12-day conflict.

Since then, IAEA inspectors have been barred from accessing Iran’s sites, despite repeated warnings from the agency’s chief Rafael Grossi.

While Western powers suspect Iran of seeking nuclear weapons capability, Tehran maintains its program is solely for civilian energy use. The IAEA has also reported that Iran remains far from developing a nuclear bomb. An Iranian delegation is expected to meet IAEA officials in Vienna on Friday.

Copied