Amid rising tensions following a 12-day war with Israel and subsequent US strikes, nuclear talks between Iran and European powers are set to resume Tuesday in Geneva, Reuters reported.
The meeting marks the second such round of talks since the conflict began in mid-June.
Iran, which suspended its cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog following the war, pointed to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s failure to condemn the Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear facilities.
The European trio – Britain, France, and Germany – have threatened to trigger the “snapback mechanism” under the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This would reimpose UN sanctions that were lifted under the agreement unless Iran curbs its uranium enrichment and restores cooperation with IAEA inspectors.
The Foreign Ministers of Iran and the three European powers held a conversation this past Friday and announced their intention to resume discussions aimed at reviving full negotiations over curbing Iran’s uranium enrichment efforts, though an Axios report suggested the call was tense and failed to achieve progress.
Iran, which has always denied wanting a nuclear weapon, disputes the legality of invoking the clause, accusing the Europeans of not honoring their commitments under the accord.
As for the US, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared on Sunday that tensions with the United States are “unsolvable” and vowed the Islamic Republic would never submit to American demands.
“The Iranian nation will stand with all of its power against those who have such erroneous expectations,” Khamenei said, according to Iranian state media. “They want Iran to be obedient to America.”
