A phone call on Friday between the Foreign Ministers of Britain, France, and Germany (the E3) and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi failed to achieve any progress, according to a report from Axios. Citing a source with knowledge of the call, the report paints a picture of a confrontational and unyielding Iranian regime.
The source revealed that the E3 Foreign Ministers’ call with Araghchi “didn’t make progress and the Iranian Foreign Minister didn’t come with any new proposal or idea on addressing concerns regarding the nuclear program.”
The conversation reportedly began with a “confrontational tone,” as the Iranian Foreign Minister “ranted about whether E3 have the right to trigger snapback” sanctions. After being pushed back by the European diplomats, Araghchi “expressed some openness to an extension of the snapback but stressed this is for the UN Security Council to decide and not for Iran.”
The report suggests a deliberate lack of seriousness from the Iranian side. Araghchi “didn’t show real interest in getting a deal other than having a meeting between his deputies and E3 political directors.”
Further adding to the concerns, Araghchi addressed Iran’s stockpile of 60% highly enriched uranium, a level dangerously close to weapons-grade. He claimed that the uranium “is buried under the rubble without a real way to get it out at the moment.”
The Iranian Foreign Minister also showed no interest in resuming direct talks with the United States, claiming it is the “US that isn’t interested in negotiations.” Additionally, Araghchi “claimed Iran is cooperating with the IAEA and didn’t give any hint that Iran might give access to UN inspectors.”
The tense conversation comes more than a week after the three European countries warned they are prepared to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran unless it returns to negotiations over its nuclear program.
In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the Security Council, the three foreign ministers said, according to the report, “We have made it clear that if Iran is not willing to reach a diplomatic solution before the end of August 2025, or does not seize the opportunity of an extension, E3 are prepared to trigger the snapback mechanism.”
Britain, France, and Germany had previously informed the UN Security Council that they stand ready to trigger the “snapback” mechanism.
The sanctions, imposed over Iran’s nuclear activities, are set to expire on October 18 unless one of the remaining parties to the 2015 nuclear deal – excluding the US – activates the mechanism.
Araghchi in May issued a stark warning to the European powers, cautioning that any move to trigger UN sanctions on Tehran could lead to a serious and potentially irreversible escalation in tensions, Reuters reported.
Last month, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi threatened that the Islamic Republic would leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if UN sanctions are “snapped back”.
(Israel National News’ North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)
