Official Iranian Announcement: Foreign Minister Agreed with Three European Powers to Resume Nuclear Talks

Official media reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his counterparts from France, Britain, and Germany agreed today, Friday, to resume talks on nuclear issues and sanctions next week.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas confirmed that talks will take place next week, warning Iran of the re-imposition of sanctions unless a verifiable and sustainable agreement is reached to alleviate concerns about its nuclear ambitions. He noted that time is extremely tight, and Iran needs to engage in talks seriously.

The three European powers also threatened to activate a mechanism that allows for the re-imposition of United Nations sanctions on Iran if Tehran does not return to negotiations regarding an agreement to curb its uranium enrichment program.

Iranian official media reported that Araghchi and the foreign ministers of Britain, France, and Germany agreed during a phone call that deputy foreign ministers would continue talks on Tuesday.

The media added that Araghchi "stressed during the call the legal and moral ineligibility of these countries to resort to the mechanism (snapback sanctions), and warned of the consequences of such an action."