European powers set for fresh nuclear talks with Iran amid tensions
A German diplomatic source confirmed that Britain, France, and Germany, collectively known as the E3, are coordinating with Tehran to schedule discussions in the coming week.
The E3 recently warned of reactivating international sanctions if Iran refuses to return to negotiations.
Iran's Tasnim news agency also reported that Tehran agreed to hold talks with the three European nations, though details on the timing and location remain under discussion.
'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 German source said.
Tensions escalated after Israel launched surprise strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites in June, followed by US attacks on Iran's uranium enrichment facility at Fordo and other nuclear locations. These developments disrupted earlier negotiations mediated by Oman.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Ali Larijani, a top adviser to Iran's supreme leader, to discuss regional stability and the nuclear standoff.
The Kremlin stated that Putin reiterated Russia's stance on resolving the crisis diplomatically.
The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which imposed restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief, has been under strain since the US withdrew in 2018.
European nations have threatened to trigger the deal's 'snapback' mechanism to reimpose sanctions if Iran fails to comply.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the threat, stating that Europe lacks legal or moral grounds for such action.
However, the German source maintained that 'if no solution is reached over the summer, snapback remains an option for the E3.'
Iran has also ruled out new talks with the US if they demand an end to uranium enrichment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
18 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
‘Weaponisation of food': Aid groups decry Gaza starvation as Europe urges ceasefire
GAZA, July 25 — Aid groups warned of surging numbers of malnourished children in war-ravaged Gaza as a trio of European powers prepared to hold an 'emergency call' Friday on the deepening humanitarian crisis. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said that a quarter of the young children and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers it had screened at its clinics last week were malnourished, a day after the United Nations said one in five children in Gaza City were suffering from malnutrition. With fears of mass starvation growing, Britain, France and Germany were set to hold an emergency call to push for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and discuss steps towards Palestinian statehood. 'I will hold an emergency call with E3 partners tomorrow, where we will discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace,' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. The call comes after hopes of a new ceasefire in Gaza faded on Thursday when Israel and the United States quit indirect negotiations with Hamas in Qatar. US envoy Steve Witkoff accused the Palestinian militant group of not 'acting in good faith'. President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that France would formally recognise a Palestinian state in September, drawing a furious rebuke from Israel. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Friday welcomed the announcement, calling it a 'victory for the Palestinian cause'. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long opposed a Palestinian state, calling it a security risk and a potential haven for 'terrorists'. On Wednesday, a large majority in Israel's parliament passed a symbolic motion backing annexation of the occupied West Bank, the core of any future Palestinian state. 'Mass starvation' More than 100 aid and human rights groups warned this week that 'mass starvation' was spreading in Gaza. Israel has rejected accusations it is responsible for the deepening crisis, which the World Health Organisation has called 'man-made'. Israel placed the Gaza Strip under an aid blockade in March, which it only partially eased two months later. The trickle of aid since then has been controlled by the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, replacing the longstanding UN-led distribution system. Aid groups have refused to work with the GHF, accusing it of aiding Israeli military goals. The GHF system, in which Gazans have to travel long distances and join huge queues to reach one of four sites, has often proved deadly, with the UN saying that more than 750 Palestinian aid-seekers have been killed by Israeli forces near GHF centres since late May. An AFP photographer saw bloodied patients, wounded while attempting to get humanitarian aid, being treated on the floor of Nasser hospital in the southern city of Khan Yunis on Thursday. Israel has refused to return to the UN-led system, saying that it allowed Hamas to hijack aid for its own benefit. Accusing Israel of the 'weaponisation of food', MSF said that: 'Across screenings of children aged six months to five years old and pregnant and breastfeeding women, at MSF facilities last week, 25 per cent were malnourished.' It said malnutrition cases had quadrupled since May 18 at its Gaza City clinic and that the facility was enrolling 25 new malnourished patients every day. 'High risk of dying' On Thursday, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said that one in five children in Gaza City were malnourished. Agency chief Philippe Lazzarini said: 'Most children our teams are seeing are emaciated, weak and at high risk of dying if they don't get the treatment they urgently need.' He also warned that 'UNRWA frontline health workers, are surviving on one small meal a day, often just lentils, if at all'. Lazzarini said that the agency had 'the equivalent of 6,000 loaded trucks of food and medical supplies' ready to send into Gaza if Israel allowed 'unrestricted and uninterrupted' access to the territory. Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed 59,587 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Hamas's October 2023 attack that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Of the 251 hostages taken during the attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. — AFP
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Iran, European powers hold tense nuclear talks as UN sanctions ‘snapback' threat looms
ISTANBUL, July 25 — Iranian diplomats met counterparts from Germany, Britain and France on Friday for renewed nuclear talks, amid warnings that the three European powers could trigger 'snapback' sanctions outlined under the 2015 deal. The meeting in Istanbul was the first since Israel's mid-June attack on Iran, which sparked a 12-day war and targeted key nuclear and military sites. The European diplomats were seen leaving the Iranian consulate in the city, the venue for the talks, shortly before 2pm (1100 GMT), after several hours inside. There was no immediate information given by either side about the meeting. Israel's offensive — which killed top commanders, nuclear scientists and hundreds of others as residential areas were struck as well — also derailed US-Iran nuclear talks that began in April. Since then, the European powers, known as the E3, have threatened to trigger the 'snapback mechanism', which would reinstate UN sanctions on Iran by the end of August, under the moribund 2015 nuclear deal. The option to trigger the snapback expires in October, and Tehran has warned of consequences should the E3 opt to activate it. 'Inaction by the E3 is not an option,' a European source said, noting that Tehran would be reminded during the meeting that the snapback window closes within months. The source said Europeans were preparing to trigger the mechanism 'in the absence of a negotiated solution' and called on Iran to make 'clear gestures' regarding uranium enrichment and the resumption of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog. Ahead of the talks on Friday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the meeting would be a 'test of realism for the Europeans and a valuable opportunity to correct their views on Iran's nuclear issue', in remarks to the official IRNA news agency. Sanctions Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who attended the talks Friday alongside senior Iranian diplomat Majid Takht-Ravanchi, warned this week that triggering sanctions 'is completely illegal'. He also accused European powers of 'halting their commitments' to the deal after the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018 during President Donald Trump's first term. 'We have warned them of the risks, but we are still seeking common ground to manage the situation,' said Gharibabadi. Iranian diplomats have previously warned that Tehran could withdraw from the global nuclear non-proliferation treaty if UN sanctions are reimposed. Restoring sanctions would deepen Iran's international isolation and place further pressure on its already strained economy. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has urged European powers to trigger the mechanism. Israel's June 13 attack on Iran came two days before Tehran and Washington were scheduled to meet for a sixth round of nuclear negotiations. On June 22, the United States joined Israel's offensive by striking Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz. Before the war, Washington and Tehran were divided over uranium enrichment, which Iran has described as a 'non-negotiable' right, while the United States called it a 'red line'. The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran is enriching uranium to 60 percent purity — far above the 3.67 percent cap under the 2015 deal and close to weapons-grade levels. Tehran has said it is open to discussing the rate and level of enrichment, but not the right to enrich uranium. A year after the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal, Iran began rolling back its commitments, which had placed restrictions on its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Israel and Western powers accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran has repeatedly denied. 'Unshakable' Iran insists it will not abandon its nuclear programme, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying that 'Iran's position remains unshakable, and that our uranium enrichment will continue'. Araghchi has previously noted that enrichment was 'stopped' due to 'serious and severe' damage to nuclear sites caused by US and Israeli strikes. The full extent of the damage sustained in the US bombing remains unclear. Trump has claimed the sites were 'completely destroyed', but US media reports based on Pentagon assessments have cast doubt over the scale of destruction. Since the 12-day war, Iran has suspended cooperation with the IAEA, accusing it of bias and failing to condemn the attacks. Inspectors have since left the country but a technical team is expected to return in the coming weeks after Iran said future cooperation would take a 'new form'. Israel has warned it may resume strikes if Iran rebuilds facilities or moves toward weapons capability. Iran has pledged a 'harsh response' to any future attacks. — AFP
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Thailand-Cambodia tensions threaten global tuna and pet food supplies
MOSCOW: The escalating tensions between Thailand and Cambodia could cause a serious shortage of canned tuna due to Thailand's dominant position in this market, according to RIA Novosti's analysis of Thai Tuna Industry Association data. In 2023, global exports of canned tuna totalled 1.6 million tonnes, with Thailand accounting for a dominant 28 per cent of that volume. Ecuador, the second-largest exporter, held just a 14 per cent share, followed by China at 9 per cent. Thailand's canned tuna exports surged by 30 per cent in 2024, reaching 580,000 tonnes, up from 445,000 tonnes a year earlier. The United States is the largest consumer of Thai canned tuna, accounting for 21 per cent of purchases, followed by Japan, Australia, and Libya (7 per cent each), and Saudi Arabia (6 per cent). According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, Thailand also controls around 8 per cent of the global tuna trade (both fresh and processed), trailing Ecuador (12 per cent), China (11 per cent), and Indonesia (8.5 per cent). According to RIA Novosti's analysis of UN Comtrade data, a disruption in trade due to the Thai-Cambodian conflict could also impact the global pet food market, as Thailand was the world's second-largest exporter of pet food in 2024, with US$2.7 billion worth of shipments or just over 10 per cent of the global total. Only Germany exported more, with exports totaling US$3.3 billion. The United States was the top buyer of Thai pet food, accounting for nearly one-third of Thailand's exports. Other major importers included Japan (12 per cent), Australia and Italy (6 per cent each), Malaysia (5 per cent), and the Philippines and Germany (4 per cent each). Thailand's presence in the Russian pet food market remains minimal, with imports totaling just US$4.9 million last year. In March 2024, Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision banned six Thai enterprises from the Russian market. The long-standing dispute between Thailand and Cambodia over the 11th-century Preah Vihear Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, escalated Thursday. Following weeks of heightened tensions from landmine incidents and subsequent mutual diplomatic expulsions, heavy artillery and rocket attacks erupted near border temples. Al Jazeera reported, citing the Thai Health Ministry, that bombing and shelling had killed at least 11 civilians and a soldier in Thailand. The authorities of four Thai provinces bordering Cambodia have announced the evacuation of residents amid the escalation, The Nation newspaper reported. - Bernama, Sputnik/RIA Novosti
