Iran Nuclear Talks Resume with European Powers Amid Regional Tensions

Iran Returns to Nuclear Talks with Europe

Iran has agreed to restart negotiations with Germany, France, and the UK, the three major European powers, regarding its nuclear program. The deputy foreign minister-level talks are scheduled to take place this Friday (25th) in Istanbul. Local media reports indicate that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi spoke by phone last Friday with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and the foreign ministers of the UK, France, and Germany. If realized, this could open the door to broader engagement between Tehran and the West following the recent 12-day war between Iran and Israel (during which the US launched a large-scale attack on key Iranian nuclear facilities). Araqchi previously emphasized that Tehran's position in the nuclear talks is "firmer than ever."

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Regional Escalation Complicates Negotiations

Iran suspended cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog following the US-Israeli airstrike, leading to the withdrawal of its inspectors. The talks come as European powers reportedly threatened to reimpose sanctions that were eased in the 2015 accord through the so-called “snapback” mechanism if Iran did not restart negotiations.

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Iran Conditions Talks with US on Guarantees

According to Iranian state media, Araqchi stated earlier this month that Iran was willing to restart nuclear talks with the US if it received guarantees of “not being attacked again.” Addressing foreign diplomats in Tehran, Araqchi said Iran has always been and will continue to be prepared to engage in dialogue regarding its nuclear program, but “there must be a guarantee that restarting negotiations will not lead to war.” He reiterated Iran's position: uranium enrichment must be allowed within Iran – something that US President Trump insisted was impossible.

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Concerns Over Iran's Nuclear Program

Israel claimed that the reason for its attack on Iran last month was that Tehran was close to possessing a nuclear bomb. US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) assess that Iran’s last organized nuclear weapons program ended in 2003, but Tehran has enriched uranium to 60% – just one step away from the weapons-grade level of 90% (technically). The US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities sparked controversy, and their specific impact remains uncertain. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on July 7th that the US attacks had caused serious damage to Iranian nuclear facilities, but relevant authorities have yet to be able to enter the facilities to assess the damage.

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Conflicting Reports on Damage

Trump wrote on “Truth Social” last Saturday: “Iran’s three nuclear facilities have all been completely destroyed or damaged and it will take years to restore operations. If Iran wants to do so, rather than repairing the destroyed sites, it would be cheaper to start over in three new locations – if they really decide to do so.” On the same day Trump made his remarks, Iranian Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Committee official spokesman Ebrahim Rezaei threatened that if Washington continues to increase sanctions on Tehran, Iran will withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and will raise the level of uranium enrichment to over 60%. “Given recent developments, we will make appropriate decisions. The government must implement the parliamentary bill, such proposals are still being prepared, and in later stages we will coordinate with parliament,” he said for the first time last month.

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US Skepticism

Trump’s weekend statements appeared to primarily target the new US intelligence assessment disclosed in media reports last Thursday – which stated that Iran’s Fordow uranium enrichment facility was mostly destroyed in the June 21 attack, but damage to the other two key facilities at Natanz and Isfahan was not severe. The White House and the Department of Defense continue to support Trump's position and tend to downplay the importance of the assessment, saying it is merely a one-sided, unverified view from a single intelligence source. “The credibility of the Fake News Media is similar to the current state of Iranian nuclear facilities: they have been destroyed, crushed, and need years to recover,” said Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell in a statement. “President Trump made it clear, and the American people understand: the Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz have been completely and totally destroyed.”

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Potential Implications

Financial blogger Zero Hedge commented that even if Tehran was not seeking nuclear weapons before, it is now likely seriously considering the matter after the 12-day war between Israel and Iran. At the same time, Iranians realize that there is no possibility of negotiating with the West, because they were holding “good faith” talks with the US when Israel launched its attack.