Iran and European Troika Agree to Resume Nuclear Talks
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday, July 20, that Iran and the three European countries (Britain, France, and Germany) have reached a preliminary agreement to hold a new round of nuclear talks, following European warnings of the possibility of reimposing international sanctions if the negotiations are obstructed.
The agency quoted an informed source as saying: "The principle of the talks has been agreed upon, but consultations are ongoing regarding the timing and location. The country where the talks will be held next week has not been specified."
The agency indicated that the talks will be at the level of deputy foreign ministers, while Tehran is officially considering the European request to resume dialogue on the nuclear program and lift sanctions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that the possibility of resuming nuclear talks "remains open," but is contingent on meeting Iranian conditions.
In an interview with CGTN, the Chinese channel, Araghchi said: "Yes, I believe that returning to a negotiating agreement is possible, but it requires genuine willingness from the other party, abandoning the military option, and moving forward towards a solution through diplomatic means."
Responding to recent attacks on Iranian facilities, he added: "These attacks have proven that the military option is not a solution to the Iranian nuclear program issue... The only way is a political solution based on negotiation, and that will not be possible unless the other party abandons its military ambitions and compensates for the damages inflicted on us. Then we will be ready to engage in serious negotiations."
In a related context, U.S. President Donald Trump commented last week on the possibility of holding negotiations with Iran, saying that Tehran "wants to talk," but he is not in a hurry to do so.
Trump told reporters upon his return to Washington: "They want to talk. I'm not in a rush to talk because we have destroyed their sites," referring to the U.S. strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities last month.
