Iran will maintain nuclear talks with European nations in Turkey, first since ceasefire with Israel

Iran stated Monday (July 21, 2025) it could maintain renewed talks this week with European nations over the nation’s nuclear programme, with discussions to be hosted by Turkey.

The talks, to be held in Istanbul on Friday, would be the first since a ceasefire was reached after a 12-day struggle waged by Israel in opposition to Iran in June, which additionally noticed the United States strike nuclear-related amenities within the Islamic Republic. The same assembly had been held within the Turkish metropolis in May.

The discussions will deliver Iranian officers along with officers from Britain, France and Germany — generally known as the E3 nations — and can embody the European Union’s international coverage chief, Kaja Kallas.

“The matter of the talks is evident, lifting sanctions and points associated to the peaceable nuclear programme of Iran,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated in his weekly briefing. He stated the assembly will probably be held on the deputy ministerial stage.

Under a 2015 deal designed to cap Iran’s nuclear actions, Iran agreed to robust restrictions on its worldwide programme in trade for an easing of sanctions.

The deal started to unravel in 2018, when the United States pulled out of it and started to reimpose sure sanctions. European nations have just lately threatened to set off the 2015 deal’s “snapback” mechanism, which might permit sanctions to be reimposed within the case of non-compliance by Tehran.

German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Martin Giese, requested who Germany will ship to the talks and what its expectations are, stated that “the talks are happening at knowledgeable stage”.

“Iran must not ever come into possession of a nuclear weapon,” so Germany, France and Britain are “persevering with to work… at excessive strain on a sustainable and verifiable diplomatic resolution to the Iranian nuclear programme,” he stated. “This plan of action can be coordinated with the US.” “It’s very clear that, ought to no resolution be reached by the tip of August… snapback stays an choice for the E3,” Giese informed reporters in Berlin.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated in a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Sunday the three European nations lack “any authorized, political, and ethical standing” to invoke such mechanisms, and accused Britain, France and Germany of failing to uphold their commitments within the deal.

“Attempting to set off snapback’ underneath these circumstances, in defiance of established details and prior communications, constitutes an abuse of course of that the worldwide neighborhood should reject,” Araghchi stated.

He additionally criticised the three European nations for “offering political and materials help to the current unprovoked and unlawful army aggression of the Israeli regime and the US”.

The US bombed three main Iranian nuclear websites in Iran in June as Israel waged an air struggle with Iran. Nearly 1,100 folks had been killed in Iran, together with many army commanders and nuclear scientists, whereas 28 had been killed in Israel.

Araghchi careworn within the letter that his nation is prepared for diplomatic options.

After US President Donald Trump pulled his nation out of the 2015 deal, Iran has step by step elevated its nuclear actions, together with enriching uranium as much as 60%, a step away from weapons-grade nuclear supplies, or 90% enrichment of uranium.

Iran denies allegations it’s looking for a nuclear weapon and has lengthy stated its nuclear programme is for peaceable functions solely.