Istanbul
Iran and European powers resumed direct nuclear talks on Friday in Istanbul, their first meeting since last month’s U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The discussions come amid rising tensions over the looming expiration of a key U.N. resolution tied to the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Delegations from Iran, the European Union, and the E3 France, Britain, and Germany gathered at Iran’s consulate as the October 18 deadline for U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231 approaches. The resolution, which underpins the 2015 nuclear deal, will expire unless a “snapback” mechanism is triggered by mid-September, reimposing international sanctions on Iran’s economy, banking, energy, and defense sectors.
European diplomats are pressing for urgent progress, with an end-of-August deadline to revive diplomacy. They are seeking assurances from Iran on several fronts: re-engagement with the U.S., full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and clarification on 400 kg of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium unaccounted for after last month’s strikes.
However, Iran pushed back firmly. Minutes before the talks, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told state media that discussions around extending Resolution 2231 were “meaningless and baseless.”
The U.S., which withdrew from the 2015 deal in 2018, had engaged in five rounds of indirect talks with Iran before the June airstrikes. While President Trump claimed the strikes "obliterated" Iran’s nuclear program, later assessments indicated that only one of three targeted sites suffered significant damage.
Iran continues to deny any intention of developing nuclear weapons. Despite European efforts, both Iranian and EU officials acknowledged there is currently no realistic path for U.S.-Iran re-engagement in the near term.