Iran Nuclear Talks with Europe Amid Sanctions Threat
The outcome of the talks will have significant implications for regional security and the global non-proliferation regime, as Iran's nuclear program continues to be a major point of contention between Tehran and Western powers.
Iran is set to hold nuclear talks with France, Germany, and the UK in Istanbul, following warnings from the three European countries that failure to resume negotiations could lead to international sanctions being reimposed on Tehran. The talks come after a month of tensions following US-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which killed top Iranian military officials and civilians.
The European countries, along with China and Russia, are the remaining parties to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which had lifted sanctions in return for restrictions on its nuclear program. Iran has accused the US of complicity in the Israeli attack and maintains that its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes. However, Western powers are seeking to bring down uranium enrichment to zero to minimize the risk of weaponization, as Iran is currently enriching uranium to 60% - far beyond the 3.67% cap set by the 2015 accord.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said the European parties have been at fault and negligent in implementing the deal, which unraveled when the US unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018. Iranian lawmaker Abbas Moqtadaei threatened to withhold security commitments in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz if the UN reimposes sanctions on Iran through the snapback mechanism, stating that Iran has "many tools" to counter the sanctions.
The talks in Istanbul will be crucial in determining the future of the 2015 nuclear deal and the potential reimposition of international sanctions on Iran. The European countries have said they would restore international sanctions on Iran by the end of August if Tehran does not enter productive talks on its nuclear program with Western powers.