Latest news with #EuropeanDiplomats
Fox News
4 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Europeans meet with Iranian officials face-to-face for first time since Israel, US bombings as sanctions loom
European diplomats met with Iranians on Friday face-to-face for the first time since Israel and the U.S. bombed the country last month. The "serious, frank and detailed" meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, lasted for around four hours and the officials all agreed to meet again for continued negotiations on Iran's nuclear program. Sanctions that were lifted on Iran in 2015 after it agreed to restrictions and monitoring of its nuclear program could be reimposed if Iran doesn't comply with requirements. One of Europe's E3 nations – Britain, France and Germany, who held the talks with Iran – could bring back sanctions under the "snapback" mechanism, which allows one of the European countries to bring back U.N. sanctions if Iran violates the conditions. European leaders have also said that sanctions will start being reinstated by the end of August if there is no progress on reining in Iran's nuclear program. "A possible delay in triggering snapback has been floated to the Iranians on the condition that there is credible diplomatic engagement by Iran, that they resume full cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), and that they address concerns about their highly-enriched uranium stockpile," a European diplomat said on condition of anonymity before the talks on Friday. The diplomat added that the snapback mechanism "remains on the table." Iran said that the U.S. needs to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal – after President Trump pulled America out of it in 2018 – saying Iran has "absolutely no trust in the United States." The U.S. bombed Iran's nuclear sites on June 22, a little over a week after Israel had bombed the country over national security concerns about its nuclear program. Iran responded by attacking Israel and a U.S. Army base in Qatar. Isreal and Iran agreed to a ceasefire on June 24. The IAEA issued a concerning report in May that said that Iran's stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium had grown by nearly 50% in three months.
BreakingNews.ie
16-07-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
France, UK and Germany would restore UN sanctions on Iran without deal progress
The United Kingdom, France and Germany have agreed to restore tough UN sanctions on Iran by the end of August if there has been no concrete progress on a nuclear deal, two European diplomats said. The three countries' ambassadors to the United Nations met on Tuesday at Germany's UN Mission to discuss a possible Iranian deal and re-imposing the sanctions. Advertisement The matter also came up in a phone call on Monday between US secretary of state Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of the three countries, according to two US officials. The State Department said after the call that the four had spoken about 'ensuring Iran does not develop or obtain a nuclear weapon'. The officials and diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. The UK, France and Germany are part of an agreement reached with Iran in 2015 to rein in its nuclear programme, from which President Donald Trump withdrew the US during his first term, insisting it was not tough enough. Advertisement Under the accord that lifted economic penalties on Iran in exchange for restrictions and monitoring of its nuclear programme, a so-called 'snapback' provision allows one of the Western parties to re-impose UN sanctions if Tehran does not comply with its requirements. French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Tuesday that the three European countries would be justified in re-applying sanctions. 'With regard to Iran, the minister reiterated the priority of resuming negotiations to establish a long-term framework for Iran's nuclear programme,' the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. 'Without a verifiable commitment from Iran by the end of August at the latest, France, Germany and the UK will be justified in re-applying the UN sanctions (snapbacks) that were lifted 10 years ago.' Advertisement The diplomats did not provide details of the deal being sought. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said in recent days that Tehran would accept a resumption of nuclear talks with the US if there were assurances of no more attacks, following Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear facilities. He said there should be 'a firm guarantee' that such actions will not be repeated, stressing that 'the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has made it more difficult and complicated to achieve a solution'. The United States and Iran held several rounds of negotiations over the Iranian nuclear programme before the Israeli strikes began in June. Mr Trump and his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said last week that talks would happen soon, but nothing has yet been scheduled. Advertisement Mr Araghchi, whose country insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, said that 'the doors of diplomacy will never slam shut'. Iran's UN Mission had no comment on Tuesday on the threat of renewed sanctions if there is no deal. Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said last week that the US airstrikes so badly damaged his country's nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction. Iran has suspended cooperation with the IAEA. Advertisement
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
European diplomats to hold talks with Iranian officials as US weighs strikes on Iran's nuclear program, AP source says
WASHINGTON (AP) — European diplomats to hold talks with Iranian officials as US weighs strikes on Iran's nuclear program, AP source says.
Washington Post
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Ugandan military accuses EU diplomats of engaging in subversive activities
KAMPALA, Uganda — Ugandan military authorities on Friday accused diplomats from Europe of engaging in subversive activities, in an escalation of tensions over European criticism of human rights violations by Uganda's security forces. Some European diplomats are mobilizing on behalf 'the negative and traitorous groups opposed' to the government of President Yoweri Museveni, the military said in a statement.
Washington Post
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Israeli diplomat defends army after soldiers fired warning shots near diplomats visiting Jenin
PARIS — A senior Israeli diplomat on Thursday defended his country's military after soldiers fired warning shots near a delegation of European diplomats visiting the occupied West Bank , an incident France condemned as 'unacceptable' and prompted it to summon Israel's ambassador. 'There was no actual danger,' Assaf Moran, deputy chief of mission of the Israeli embassy in France, said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'It also was proven by the debriefing that the soldiers only shot a warning in the air in order for the delegation to step away, but there was not actual danger to the diplomats on the ground.'
