Iran, European powers talk as sanctions threat looms
GENEVA — Representatives of three European countries, which are threatening to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, failed to agree with their Iranian counterpart on Tuesday on how to avoid the measures days ahead of a deadline, a diplomat said.
The diplomat said efforts would continue to search for a solution ahead of an E3 deadline at the end of this month to invoke the so-called "snapback mechanism "of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, over what the countries have deemed Iran's lack of compliance — an allegation Iran has denied.
The snapback would mean a return to wide-ranging UN sanctions in place before the deal, including a conventional arms embargo, restrictions on ballistic missile development, asset freezes, travel bans and a ban on producing nuclear-related technology.
The talks in Switzerland between representatives of Britain, France and Germany — known as the E3 — and Iran "ended without a final outcome", said the diplomat with knowledge of the meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the sensitive discussions.
The talks, which the Iranian Foreign Ministry had announced on Monday, follow a previous meeting between the Europeans and Iran in Istanbul on July 25.
Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, said on X that Tehran "remains committed to diplomacy" and that it was "high time" for the European countries "to make the right choice, and give diplomacy time and space".
Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that it is fully aware of the potential negative consequences of a possible reinstatement of UN sanctions under the snapback mechanism and is working to prevent it.
Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei rejected claims that Tehran is downplaying the issue, saying they are concerned about its consequences.
He said Iran has taken "considerable efforts" to avert the move.
The discussions focus on lifting sanctions and the future of Resolution 2231, which endorses the nuclear accord, Baghaei noted, adding that Tehran will continue to demonstrate transparency about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program.
He also stressed that E3 lacks the legal and moral authority to trigger the mechanism.
The Europeans' concern over the Iranian nuclear program, which had been enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels before the 12-day Iran-Israel conflict in June, saw its atomic sites bombed, and has only grown since Tehran cut off all cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, in the conflict's wake.
Iran has long insisted its program is peaceful.
Month-end deadline
The Europeans agreed with the US earlier this year to set an end-of-August deadline for invoking the mechanism if Iran fails to meet several conditions, including resuming negotiations with the US over its nuclear program, allowing UN nuclear inspectors access to its nuclear sites and accounting for the over 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told Fox News Channel's The Story with Martha MacCallum on Tuesday that a team of international inspectors was back in Iran for the first time since the conflict with Israel in June, when the US also bombed Iranian nuclear sites, including with bunker-buster bombs.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council has approved the return of inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed on Wednesday.
He told state news agency IRNA the inspectors were allowed in to oversee the replacement of fuel at the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Araghchi also denied reports that Iran and the IAEA had agreed on a new cooperation framework, saying no text had been finalized despite exchanges of proposals.
Under the 2015 deal between world powers and Iran, Tehran agreed to limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. UN inspectors were tasked with monitoring the program.
Agencies - Xinhua
