Iran is in talks with three European countries and the European Union to try a last-ditch effort to avoid the reimposition of UN sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear research.
If no deal is reached by 27 September, all UN sanctions will start again and will include limitations on Iran’s fossil fuels. France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, collectively known as the E3, have been in talks with Iranian authorities since the end of August.
During a meeting at the UN General Assembly in New York, they offered a six-month delay in the reimposition of the sanctions to facilitate more in-depth negotiations. However, the delay is conditional on Iran restoring access to UN nuclear inspectors and restarting talks with the United States on the issue.
Commenting after a meeting she had with the E3 delegations and Iranian delegations, European High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas said, “diplomacy has a chance. The deadlines are running, and let’s see. We need to see some real action also on the Iranian side.” Germany seemed more pessimistic, though, with its Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul saying before the meeting in New York that “chances of reaching a diplomatic solution before sanctions are triggered are extremely slim.”
Tehran maintains its line that its nuclear programme does not involve nuclear weapons and seems willing to continue talks. Iran’s Foreign Ministry released a statement after the meeting, stating that “some ideas and proposals for continuing diplomacy were raised during the meeting, and it was agreed that consultations will continue.”
However, Iran is still flatly refusing to engage in negotiations with the United States, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stating in a recorded message that “negotiations with the United States would not serve Tehran’s interests and would prove a dead-end.”
During his speech at the General Assembly, US President Donald Trump reiterated his position that Iran will never be allowed to have nuclear weapons. During his first term, Trump ditched the historical nuclear deal signed in 2015 with Iran and reimposed sanctions on the country in 2018. Earlier this year, he authorised a joint military operation with Israel to bomb several Iranian nuclear sites.
