Iran will hold negotiations in Rome tomorrow with the United Kingdom (UK), France, and Germany on the nuclear program, announced Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in an attempt to mend strained relations at a time when key talks on the topic are being held between Tehran and Washington.
The meeting with the European trio (E3), which is a signatory to the 2015 nuclear agreement, will precede the fourth round of bilateral negotiations between Iran and the United States (U.S.), also planned for the weekend in Italy.
“In my opinion, the three European countries have lost their role in the context of the nuclear issue because of the wrong policies they decided to pursue. Nevertheless, we do not want that to remain the case and we are ready for talks in Rome,” Araghchi told state media.
According to media reports, Tehran had earlier proposed a meeting with the E3 in order to renew dialogue within the framework of the agreement that U.S. President Donald Trump left in 2018. Political directors of the E3 confirmed that they will meet with the Iranian delegation tomorrow.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran if it does not agree to a new deal. After the U.S. withdrawal from the agreement, Iran significantly exceeded the limitations regarding its nuclear program, raising concerns in Washington and among European countries that Tehran could develop an atomic bomb. Iran, however, claims that its program is purely peaceful in nature.
The United Nations (UN) Security Council resolution that confirmed the 2015 agreement expires in October, and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated on Tuesday that France will not hesitate to reintroduce international sanctions if the negotiations fail.
“Such sanctions would permanently prevent Iran from accessing technology, investments, and the European market, with devastating consequences for the country’s economy,” said Barrot.
Iran’s mission to the UN responded that European threats are not in the spirit of diplomacy: “If France and its partners truly want a diplomatic solution, they must stop with the threats.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of the Treasury on Tuesday imposed new sanctions on a so-called supplier network in Iran and China, which it accuses of procuring components for ballistic missiles for the needs of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
Araghchi stated that such actions during the negotiations send “the wrong message.”
Trump stated that he believes he will succeed in negotiating a new agreement that would permanently prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
