logo
Iran to hold nuclear talks with European powers on Friday

Iran to hold nuclear talks with European powers on Friday

Dubai Eye4 days ago
Iran, Britain, France and Germany will hold nuclear talks in Istanbul on Friday, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said early on Monday.
The talks scheduled for Friday come after foreign ministers of the three nations as well as the European Union's foreign policy chief, held their first call on Thursday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi since Israel and the US attacked Iranian nuclear facilities a month ago.
The three European countries, along with China and Russia, are the remaining parties to a 2015 nuclear deal reached with Iran - from which the US withdrew in 2018 - that lifted sanctions on the Middle Eastern country in return for restrictions on its nuclear programme.
They have said they would restore UN sanctions on Tehran via the "snapback mechanism" by the end of August if nuclear talks that were ongoing between Iran and the US before the Israel-Iran air war do not resume or fail to produce concrete results.
"If EU/E3 want to have a role, they should act responsibly, and put aside the worn-out policies of threat and pressure, including the 'snap-back' for which they lack absolutely [any] moral and legal ground," Araqchi said earlier in the week.
The snapback mechanism can be used to restore UN sanctions before the UN Security Council resolution enshrining the deal expires on October 18.
Prior to the Israel-Iran war, Tehran and Washington held five rounds of nuclear talks mediated by Oman but faced major stumbling blocks such as uranium enrichment in Iran, which Western powers want to bring down to zero to minimise any risk of weaponisation.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UAE welcomes France's move to recognise State of Palestine
UAE welcomes France's move to recognise State of Palestine

TAG 91.1

time16 minutes ago

  • TAG 91.1

UAE welcomes France's move to recognise State of Palestine

The UAE has welcomed France's announcement of its intention to recognise the State of Palestine. His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, praised French President Emmanuel Macron's statement, calling it an important step toward advancing a two-state solution and achieving lasting peace in the region. Sheikh Abdullah emphasised that this move comes at a crucial moment, and urged the international community to fulfill its responsibilities by reviving the political process and working toward an end to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. He also reaffirmed the UAE's firm support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of an independent, sovereign state in line with international law and UN resolutions. The UAE remains committed to collaborating with regional and global partners to build a just and sustainable solution that ensures long-term peace and stability in the region. Abdullah bin Zayed Welcomes France's Announcement on Intention to Recognize the State of Palestine, Reaffirms Commitment to Supporting the Legitimate Rights of the Palestinian People — MoFA وزارة الخارجية (@mofauae) July 25, 2025

UK, France, Germany say 'Gaza's humanitarian catastrophe must end now'
UK, France, Germany say 'Gaza's humanitarian catastrophe must end now'

Al Etihad

timean hour ago

  • Al Etihad

UK, France, Germany say 'Gaza's humanitarian catastrophe must end now'

25 July 2025 20:59 BERLIN (AFP) The leaders of Britain, France and Germany said Friday the "humanitarian catastrophe" in the Gaza Strip must end now, as the war-ravaged Palestinian territory faces a deepening crisis. "We call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and urgently allow the UN and humanitarian NGOs to carry out their work to take action against starvation," they said in a joint statement released by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that "the most basic needs of the civilian population, including access to water and food, must be met without any further delay". "Withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable," they said."Israel must uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law."More than 100 aid and human rights groups warned this week that "mass starvation" was spreading in Gaza after more than 21 months of war. Israel has rejected accusations that it is responsible for the deepening crisis in Gaza, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) has called "man-made".Israel placed the Gaza Strip under an aid blockade in March, which it only partially eased two months later while sidelining the longstanding UN-led distribution European leaders also stressed that "the time has come to end the war in Gaza. "We urge all parties to bring an end to the conflict by reaching an immediate ceasefire.""We stand ready to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political process that leads to lasting security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region," they said. Starmer had earlier said he would hold an "emergency call" on Gaza on Friday with Macron and Merz.

'They want to die': US ramps up efforts to fault Hamas for collapse of ceasefire talks
'They want to die': US ramps up efforts to fault Hamas for collapse of ceasefire talks

Middle East Eye

timean hour ago

  • Middle East Eye

'They want to die': US ramps up efforts to fault Hamas for collapse of ceasefire talks

US President Donald Trump blamed Hamas on Friday for the collapse of Gaza ceasefire talks, even as he appeared to suggest that one of Hamas's sticking points is true: that Israel would resume attacks after it retrieved the remaining captives in Gaza. "Hamas didn't really want to make a deal," Trump told reporters outside the White House on Friday. "I think they want to die, and it's very bad. It got to a point where you're going to have to finish the job." One of the main obstacles to the Gaza ceasefire talks has been Hamas's insistence that the release of captives in Gaza leads to a permanent end to the war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly rejected that, insisting that Hamas be fully destroyed - even after the captives are released. Around 20 living Israelis are still being held in Gaza after two short-term ceasefires saw the release of more than 100. "Now we are down to the final hostages and they [Hamas] know what happens after you get the final hostages," Trump said. "Basically because of that they really didn't want to make a deal... They lose their shield. They lose their cover." New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters It's unclear whether Trump was trying to pressure the group to come back to the table and accept Israel's terms, or signalling he would support more widespread attacks on Gaza at a time when the enclave is descending into famine. "There has been a consistent effort to fault Hamas for the lack of progress in every other instance where talks have not produced an agreement," Michael Hanna, a Middle East expert at the International Crisis Group (ICG), told Middle East Eye. Israeli ground forces are already moving into the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah, one of the few areas they deployed. The ceasefire talks collapsed on Thursday when US envoy Steve Witkoff said he was recalling American negotiators from Doha, Qatar. Qatari officials on Friday downplayed the recall, saying the "suspension of ceasefire negotiations to hold consultations before resuming talks again is a 'natural matter' in context of these complex negotiations". Qatar's foreign ministry added that progress had been made in the latest round of talks and that it, along with Egypt, was committed to reach a comprehensive ceasefire agreement. Trump's call to 'finish the job' This week, more than two dozen western countries, including traditional supporters of Israel like Poland, the UK and Italy accused Israel of "drip feeding" aid into Gaza and the "inhumane killing of civilians". Israel instituted a full blockade of Gaza in March. It allowed a trickle of aid into the enclave after establishing the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in May. US grilled over Gaza famine fears as it withdraws from ceasefire talks Read More » The US- and Israeli-backed group has been plagued by scandals and slammed by aid experts, including the UN. Starving Palestinians have been placed in cage-like corrals attempting to retrieve aid and have been shot at by US mercenaries guarding "distribution hubs" in southern Gaza. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces while trying to access food in Gaza since the GHF started operations, the UN said on Tuesday. Trump's call for Israel to "finish the job" is going to unnerve the US's Arab allies, two regional diplomats told MEE, who are concerned Israel will not stop the war until it forcibly displaces Palestinians from Gaza. Israeli officials have said they want to create a so-called "humanitarian city" on Gaza's border with Egypt. The proposal has drawn international criticism, with some describing it as resembling a concentration camp. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated publicly that implementing the "Trump plan" is one of his conditions for ending the war. Trump alarmed Arab states when he said earlier this year that the US would take over the Gaza Strip, forcibly displace its Palestinian inhabitants and turn the enclave into a "Riviera". "It's widely understood that there are no real strategic objectives to fulfil militarily unless the ultimate goal is displacement," Hanna, from the ICG, said. "In the meantime, it appears the US is willing to stand by as famine deepens throughout Gaza." 'Consistent effort to fault Hamas' "The US has protected Israel in these talks and is not a mediator, but more like a party to the discussions since US guarantees figure prominently in any agreement," Hanna added. The ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel have ebbed and flowed for weeks. The two sides reached an agreement on a three-phase deal in January. Israel tore up the deal in March before talks on a permanent end to the war were scheduled to take place in phase 2 and unilaterally resumed attacking the Gaza Strip. The US had made guarantees that it would work to ensure talks on a permanent end to the fighting take place. Arab mediators Egypt and Qatar also underwrote the ceasefire. 'The US is willing to stand by as famine deepens throughout Gaza' - Michael Hanna, International Crisis Group The Trump administration has clashed with Israel on several files - including striking an independent ceasefire with the Houthis in Yemen and condemning Israeli strikes on Syria - but has generally given Israel full backing to wage war on Gaza. Trump's remarks echo those of his envoy Witkoff on Thursday, who said Hamas showed a "lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza". The US's decision to pull back from talks comes as the Gaza Strip descends deeper into hunger as a result of the blockade that Israel has imposed. Israel also suffered a diplomatic blow on Thursday when France announced it would recognise a Palestinian state. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee wrote an unusually sarcastic social media post in response, saying Paris would give the French Riviera to the Palestinians and call it "Franc-en-stein". But the real story is in the Gaza Strip, where MEE correspondents have reported scenes of people collapsing on the street out of hunger as families endure days without food.

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