logo
Iran confirms fresh nuclear talks with European powers: state media

Iran confirms fresh nuclear talks with European powers: state media

Herald Sun2 days ago
Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Iran confirmed fresh talks with European powers to be held on Friday in Istanbul, the country's state media reported, the first since the United States attacked Iranian nuclear facilities a month ago.
Iranian diplomats will meet counterparts from Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, after the trio warned that sanctions could be reimposed on Tehran if it does return to the negotiating table over its nuclear programme.
Western nations and Israel have long accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran has consistently denied.
"In response to the request of European countries, Iran has agreed to hold a new round of talks," said foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghai, as quoted by state TV on Monday.
The subject of the talks will be Iran's nuclear programme, it added.
A German diplomatic source had told AFP on Sunday the E3 were in contact with Tehran and said "Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon".
"That is why Germany, France and the United Kingdom are continuing to work intensively in the E3 format to find a sustainable and verifiable diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear programme," the source said.
Israel launched on June 13 a wave of surprise strikes on its regional nemesis, targeting key military and nuclear facilities.
The United States launched its own set of strikes against Iran's nuclear programme on June 22, hitting the uranium enrichment facility at Fordo, in Qom province south of Tehran, as well as nuclear sites in Isfahan and Natanz.
- Kremlin meeting -
Iran and the United States had held several rounds of nuclear negotiations through Omani mediators before Israel launched its 12-day war against Iran.
However, US President Donald Trump's decision to join Israel in striking Iranian nuclear facilities effectively ended the talks.
The E3 countries last met with Iranian representatives in Geneva on June 21 -- just one day before the US strikes.
Also Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a surprise meeting in the Kremlin with Ali Larijani, top adviser to Iran's supreme leader on nuclear issues.
Larijani "conveyed assessments of the escalating situation in the Middle East and around the Iranian nuclear programme", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of the unannounced meeting.
Putin had expressed Russia's "well-known positions on how to stabilise the situation in the region and on the political settlement of the Iranian nuclear programme", he added.
Moscow has a cordial relationship with Iran's clerical leadership and provides crucial backing for Tehran but did not swing forcefully behind its partner even after the United States joined Israel's bombing campaign.
- Snapback mechanism -
Iran and world powers struck a deal in 2015 called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which placed significant restrictions on Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.
But the hard-won deal began to unravel in 2018, during Trump's first presidency, when the United States walked away from it and reimposed sanctions on Iran.
European countries have in recent days threatened to trigger the deal's "snapback" mechanism, which allows the reimposition of sanctions in the event of non-compliance by Iran.
After a call with his European counterparts on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Western allies had "absolutely no moral (or) legal grounds" for reactivating the snapback sanctions.
He elaborated in a post to social media Sunday.
"Through their actions and statements, including providing political and material support to the recent unprovoked and illegal military aggression of the Israeli regime and the US... the E3 have relinquished their role as 'Participants' in the JCPOA," said Araghchi.
That made any attempt to reinstate the terminated UN Security Council resolutions "null and void", he added.
"Iran has shown that it is capable of defeating any delusional 'dirty work' but has always been prepared to reciprocate meaningful diplomacy in good faith," Araghchi wrote.
However, the German source said Sunday that "if no solution is reached over the summer, snapback remains an option for the E3".
Ali Velayati, an adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said last week there would be no new nuclear talks with the United States if they were conditioned on Tehran abandoning its uranium enrichment activities.
burs-sbk/jj/tc/mtp
Originally published as Iran confirms fresh nuclear talks with European powers: state media
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

PM lifts US beef ban, paves way for Trump tariff talks
PM lifts US beef ban, paves way for Trump tariff talks

AU Financial Review

timean hour ago

  • AU Financial Review

PM lifts US beef ban, paves way for Trump tariff talks

The Albanese government has lifted the biosecurity restrictions on US beef, paving the way for the full resumption of exports to Australia, and removing the key excuse given by the Trump administration for imposing steep tariffs on its supposed friend and ally. A government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, insisted the move, which was communicated to the US government overnight Wednesday (AEST), was based on scientific advice following a review of the restrictions initiated more than 18 months ago, before Donald Trump was elected president for a second term.

Zelenskiy signs anti-corruption law amid protests
Zelenskiy signs anti-corruption law amid protests

West Australian

time3 hours ago

  • West Australian

Zelenskiy signs anti-corruption law amid protests

Ukrainian activists have called for further protests against a law they say weakens anti-corruption watchdogs, following the first major demonstration against the country's government in more than three years of war. The legislation has also drawn rebukes from European Union officials and international rights groups. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, under pressure as the change threatened to endanger his public support at a critical time in the war, convened the heads of Ukraine's key anti-corruption and security agencies in a response to the outcry against his decision to approve the new law that was passed by parliament. "We all hear what society says," Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram after the meeting. But he insisted the new legal framework was needed to crack down harder on corruption. "Criminal cases should not drag on for years without verdicts, and those working against Ukraine must not feel comfortable or immune from punishment," the Ukrainian leader said. He said all government agencies agreed to work constructively and respond to public expectations for fairness and effectiveness. A detailed joint action plan is expected within two weeks, aimed at addressing institutional weaknesses, removing legal hurdles, and ensuring justice across the board, he said. Thousands of people gathered in Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine on Tuesday evening to urge Zelenskyy to veto the controversial bill. After Zelenskyy approved it, activists called on social media for another demonstration in Kyiv on Wednesday evening. The legislation tightens government oversight of two key anti-corruption agencies. Critics say the step could significantly weaken the independence of those agencies and grant Zelenskyy's circle greater influence over investigations. Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars in Western aid in its fight against Russia's three-year invasion. "Limiting the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption agency hampers Ukraine's way towards the EU," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul warned in a post on X EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, also on X, noted: "In war trust between the fighting nation and its leadership is more important than modern weapons - difficult to build and to keep, but easy to lose with one significant mistake by the leadership." The Ukrainian branch of Transparency International criticised parliament's decision, saying it undermines one of the most significant reforms since what Ukraine calls its Revolution of Dignity in 2014, and damages trust with international partners. It accused authorities of "dismantling" Ukraine's anti-corruption architecture. Zelenskiy said the new law clears out "Russian influence" from the fight against corruption and ensures punishment for those found guilty of it, after what he said were years-long delays in criminal proceedings involving huge amounts of money. "The cases that have been lying dormant must be investigated," Zelenskiy said in a Telegram post. "For years, officials who have fled Ukraine have been casually living abroad for some reason - in very nice countries and without legal consequences - and this is not normal." He didn't provide examples of what he said was Russian interference.

Zelenskiy signs anti-corruption law amid protests
Zelenskiy signs anti-corruption law amid protests

Perth Now

time3 hours ago

  • Perth Now

Zelenskiy signs anti-corruption law amid protests

Ukrainian activists have called for further protests against a law they say weakens anti-corruption watchdogs, following the first major demonstration against the country's government in more than three years of war. The legislation has also drawn rebukes from European Union officials and international rights groups. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, under pressure as the change threatened to endanger his public support at a critical time in the war, convened the heads of Ukraine's key anti-corruption and security agencies in a response to the outcry against his decision to approve the new law that was passed by parliament. "We all hear what society says," Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram after the meeting. But he insisted the new legal framework was needed to crack down harder on corruption. "Criminal cases should not drag on for years without verdicts, and those working against Ukraine must not feel comfortable or immune from punishment," the Ukrainian leader said. He said all government agencies agreed to work constructively and respond to public expectations for fairness and effectiveness. A detailed joint action plan is expected within two weeks, aimed at addressing institutional weaknesses, removing legal hurdles, and ensuring justice across the board, he said. Thousands of people gathered in Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine on Tuesday evening to urge Zelenskyy to veto the controversial bill. After Zelenskyy approved it, activists called on social media for another demonstration in Kyiv on Wednesday evening. The legislation tightens government oversight of two key anti-corruption agencies. Critics say the step could significantly weaken the independence of those agencies and grant Zelenskyy's circle greater influence over investigations. Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars in Western aid in its fight against Russia's three-year invasion. "Limiting the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption agency hampers Ukraine's way towards the EU," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul warned in a post on X EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, also on X, noted: "In war trust between the fighting nation and its leadership is more important than modern weapons - difficult to build and to keep, but easy to lose with one significant mistake by the leadership." The Ukrainian branch of Transparency International criticised parliament's decision, saying it undermines one of the most significant reforms since what Ukraine calls its Revolution of Dignity in 2014, and damages trust with international partners. It accused authorities of "dismantling" Ukraine's anti-corruption architecture. Zelenskiy said the new law clears out "Russian influence" from the fight against corruption and ensures punishment for those found guilty of it, after what he said were years-long delays in criminal proceedings involving huge amounts of money. "The cases that have been lying dormant must be investigated," Zelenskiy said in a Telegram post. "For years, officials who have fled Ukraine have been casually living abroad for some reason - in very nice countries and without legal consequences - and this is not normal." He didn't provide examples of what he said was Russian interference.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store