Europeans to test Iran’s appetite for nuclear compromise as sanctions loom
By John Irish and Parisa Hafezi
Paris (Reuters) -France, Britain and Germany, the United States and Israel in June, Iran for the first time since the attacks on Iran will face face -to -face negotiations with Iran and aim to measure a reconciliation appetite to prevent the sanctions of Tehran.
The three European countries, together with China and Russia, are the rest of the 2015 agreement in 2018, which removed sanctions on Iran in exchange for restrictions in the nuclear program.
Negotiations between the E3 Group E3 and the senior diplomats called Iran’s negotiation team will be held in Istanbul.
The United States said that in June, US President Donald Trump “destroyed” a program that Washington and its ally aimed to buy a nuclear bomb of Israel. Iran refused to look for nuclear weapons.
European and Iranian diplomats say that Iran is not likely to re -interact with the US on the negotiating table for now.
However, Europeans say that negotiations should be revived by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) due to stopping in the audit of nuclear facilities, and that the 2015 agreement should be revived due to a deadline approach dated 18 October.
In addition, they want answers to the position of 400 kg (880 pounds) of highly enriched uranium near unknown weapons since last month’s strikes.
“We are determined to do everything to reach a diplomatic solution,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said to a press conference in Paris on 18 July.
Snapback or an extension?
In accordance with the conditions of the UN Security Council’s decision to prevent the 2015 agreement, the UN sanctions can be re -tasked before the agreement is expired – a process that will last for about 30 days.
E3, who does not want to lose leverage by allowing the agreement to end, warned that they will launch the “Snapback mechanism”, which will restore all previous UN sanctions in Iran, including oil, banking and defense sectors, unless there is a new nuclear agreement.
Iran’s ally – Russia and three European countries, which took over the presidency of the Security Council in October, showed that the last window would be the end of August to re -activate sanctions.
Three Europeans, one regional and one Iranian diplomat, the meeting in Istanbul will primarily focus on the Snapback mechanism.
They said the E3 would expand Iran’s Snapback mechanism up to six months.
On the other hand, Iran would have to commit to key issues, including the final negotiations with Washington, full cooperation with IAEA and taking into account the highly enriched uranium stock.
Speaking to journalists in the UN on Wednesday, Iran, Iran Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who will be in Istanbul, said that Tehran agrees to allow a technical team from IAEA to visit in the coming weeks.
He warned that the triggering of the Snapback mechanism will be met with a strong response from Tehran. He had previously threatened to leave the Soliferation Prevention Treaty (NPT) to the issue.
Gharibabadi added that he had heard the possibility of extension.
“This is too early to discuss the issue of extension. We have about three months until the deadline of October 18th.” He said.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a Trump management official said that when Washington was asked whether he discussed the seizure of sanctions with them, the US was “coordinated” with E3, but refused to be detailed.
The four sources were in Paris on Thursday, Israel’s Strategic Minister Ron Dermer, and will meet with French officials for interviews on various issues, including Iran.
Israel launched attacks on Iran and said that Kemer Fave wants to eliminate the chances of developing nuclear weapons.
(Berlin in the United Nations, Michelle Nichols and Matt Spetalnick in Washington;
