ISTANBUL: Iranian diplomats said they held “frank and detailed” nuclear talks on Friday with counterparts from Britain, France and Germany, who have threatened to trigger sanctions if Tehran fails to agree a deal on uranium enrichment and cooperation with UN inspectors.

The meeting in Istanbul was the first since Israel launched an attack on Iran last month targeting key nuclear and military sites, sparking a 12-day war and leading Tehran to pull away from working with the UN watchdog.

Israel’s offensive also derailed US-Iran nuclear talks that began in April.

Since then, the European powers, known as E3, have threatened to trigger a “snapback mechanism” under a moribund 2015 nuclear deal that would reinstate UN sanctions on Iran by the end of August.

The sanctions trigger expires in October, and Tehran has warned of consequences should the E3 opt to activate it.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who attended the talks alongside Iranian diplomat Majid Takht-Ravanchi, wrote on X that he had used the meeting to criticise the European stance on the 12-day conflict with Israel.

He said the snapback mechanism had also been discussed, adding: “It was agreed that consultations on this matter will continue.”

Takht-Ravanchi told state news agency IRNA the Iranian side had demanded “punitive sanctions” be lifted “as soon as possible”.

Before the talks, a European source said the three countries were preparing to trigger the mechanism “in the absence of a negotiated solution”.

The source urged Iran to make “clear gestures” on uranium enrichment and resuming cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.

`Common ground’

Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, warned earlier in the week that triggering sanctions _ which would deepen Iran’s international isolation and place further pressure on its already strained economy — would be “completely illegal”.

He accused European powers of “halting their commitments” under the 2015 deal, which the United States unilaterally withdrew from 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 sanctions were reimposed.

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.

The attack left a number of generals and nuclear scientists dead.

On June 22, the US joined Israel’s offensive by striking Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz.

Before the war, the US and Iran were divided over uranium enrichment — with Tehran describing it as a “non-negotiable” right, while Wa­­sh­­ington called it a “red line”.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2025