 "Iran proposes nuclear talks with European powers before next round with US: Report")
Iran has proposed holding a meeting with the European signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal— Britain, France, and Germany — likely in Rome on Friday, if nuclear negotiations with the US move forward, according to a Reuters report, citing four diplomats on Monday.
The European parties, however, have yet to formally respond to the proposal.
The initiative comes after renewed discussions between Iran and the US in Oman over the weekend, as well as separate talks with Russia and China last week.
According to Reuters, Omani officials have indicated that another round of US-Iran talks could be held in Europe on May 3, though no final decision has been made.
By reaching out to the so-called E3, Iran appears to be testing diplomatic waters and gauging European positions on the possible reimposition of UN sanctions in October, when the resolution endorsing the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is due to expire, added the report.
According to the report, citing two European diplomats and one Western official, Tehran conveyed the proposal for a meeting in Rome shortly after its latest talks with the US on Saturday. Should the Rome meeting not be feasible, Iran also floated the possibility of holding discussions in Tehran before that date, it added.
An Iranian official confirmed the outreach but said the E3 had not yet responded, reported Reuters.
European and Western diplomats said the E3 is currently weighing whether engaging with Iran at this stage would be beneficial or whether to wait for further progress in US-Iran negotiations. However, they ruled out the possibility of holding any meeting in Tehran.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe second round of direct discussions between Tehran and Washington also reportedly took place in Rome, with Iran stating that serious differences remain between the two sides.
“It is important to remain on the same page with all parties to the 2015 deal. Therefore, meeting the E3 countries this week ahead of the next round of talks with Americans would be useful,” Reuters quoted the Iranian official as saying.
Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said he was ready to travel to Europe for talks, but stressed that the next move was up to the Europeans, amid strained ties.
Tehran and the E3 have held several meetings since September, with the latest in March focusing on technical aspects of a possible deal to scale back Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.
While the West suspects Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons — a claim Tehran denies —pressure is mounting from the US, with President Trump threatening military action unless a new agreement is reached.
Since the US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018, it cannot trigger the UN “snapback” sanctions mechanism. That responsibility now rests with the E3, who remain part of the accord and are in talks with both Iran and the US.
When asked if Iran’s proposal to meet the E3 was aimed at addressing snapback, an Iranian official confirmed that was part of the agenda, reported Reuters.
“Talks with the US, particularly on the nuclear steps, are not moving fast and obviously we need more time and Tehran is not much in favour of an interim deal, because of lack of trust to American side,” Reuters quoted the official as saying.
“What if under an interim deal, we fulfil our step and the other party does not. We need Europeans to understand that we want a new deal and we are ready to take steps to limit our enrichment but we need time.”
According to Reuters, the British and German foreign ministries declined to comment specifically on whether Iran had proposed a meeting for later this week. France’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond for comment.
With inputs from agencies
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