Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.
The United Kingdom, Germany, and France have wrapped up high-stakes nuclear talks with Iran in Geneva over its renewed uranium enrichment and refusal to cooperate with international nuclear inspections.
Getting into it: The Geneva meeting, held between deputy foreign ministers from Iran and the so-called E3 (the United Kingdom, Germany, and France), was the second round of negotiations in recent months following earlier discussions in Istanbul. According to sources cited by Axios and The Wall Street Journal, the talks produced no concrete outcomes. While Iranian negotiators presented general assurances, European diplomats said the proposals lacked the specificity and substance needed to move forward.
Iranian officials maintained a firm stance throughout the negotiations. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated that Iran had made it clear during the talks that the E3 had “no legal right” to trigger the snapback mechanism under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which underpins the 2015 nuclear deal. He warned that any such move would carry serious consequences for the European countries involved. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi echoed this message, vowing that Iran was committed to diplomacy but warned that they would not accept pressure or preconditions.
From the European side, E3 diplomats warned Iran that unless it took immediate, verifiable steps to resume cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and scale back its uranium enrichment activities, they would initiate the “snapback” process by the end of August. This mechanism would reimpose all previously lifted UN sanctions, including arms embargoes, missile restrictions, and international asset freezes.
Despite the absence of a breakthrough, both sides agreed to continue diplomatic contacts in the coming days, though no timeline for further talks was announced.
