Iran and the European trio of Britain, France and Germany have agreed in principle to resume nuclear talks next week, Iran’s state-run Press TV reported on Sunday.
Citing a source, the media outlet said the two sides had agreed to restart talks, but that the time and venue for the talks had yet to be finalized.
In talks with Iran’s foreign minister on Thursday, senior diplomats from Britain, France, Germany and the EU stressed the urgency of returning to diplomacy on the nuclear deal, or they would trigger the UN’s “snapback” mechanism – the reimposition of international sanctions.
Talks between Tehran and the US were being conducted through Omani mediators until Israel’s surprise attack on Iran on June 13, which sparked a 12-day war. The attack came just two days before a planned sixth round of talks in Muscat.
Iran has accused the US of complicity in the Israeli attack, which killed senior Iranian military officials, nuclear scientists and civilians. The US has also launched strikes on three major Iranian nuclear facilities, claiming to have destroyed them. The ceasefire came into effect on 24 June.
While the US and Europeans say Iran can never have a nuclear bomb, Tehran insists its programme is for peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
After talks with the E3 and the EU, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the US had withdrawn from the 2015 nuclear deal and that any new round of talks would only be possible “when the other side is ready for a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial nuclear agreement”.
“If the EU/E3 want to play a role, they should act responsibly and put aside the worn-out policy of threats and pressure, including ‘quick rollback’ for which they have absolutely no moral or legal basis,” he said at X.
