An image portraying the Iranian flag, the symbol of an atom, and the inscription ‘Nuclear program’ was circulated on June 16, 2025. Anticipations for a new round of discussions revolving around Iran’s nuclear program have been rekindled recently, as per an inside source from Germany divulging details to AFP. Supposedly, Germany, United Kingdom, and France, collectively referred to as the E3, are in dialogue with Iran to organize negotiations to take place in the following week.
The source further elaborated that after Europe had vocalised anxieties about the prospect of enforcing international sanctions against Iran yet again, it becomes importantly crucial for Tehran to re-commence dialogues. An agreement in principle to begin meetings has been settled, but aspects like the precise timing and chosen location are still being discussed.
Iran’s regional news outlet, Tasnim, widely considered to be semi-official, added another perspective to the unfolding story, relying on informed anonymous sources. The choice regarding the nation to host the talks that are proposed to happen in the forthcoming week is yet to be locked in.
The news of potential talks with Iran came public after a recent exchange between the foreign ministers of the E3 countries, joined by the European Union’s foreign policy chief, and Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi. This discourse stands out as a considerable interaction between these stakeholders after the Iranian nuclear facilities faced assault from the US and Israel, an episode that unfolded a month ago.
Noteworthy signatories of the nuclear deal drafted in 2015 with Iran included the three states from Europe along with Russia and China. These countries remain committed to the accord even after the US backed out in 2018. As a consequence of Iran’s agreement to limit its nuclear program, economic sanctions positioned on the Middle Eastern country were lifted.
The European group, however, has articulated its preparedness to revive the UN sanctions on Iran via the ‘snapback mechanism’. Conditions have been outlined that the activation will be considered if talks between Iran and the US, which were in progress prior to the air conflict between Israel and Iran, fail to reinitiate or do not demonstrate realistic outcomes. The snapback is expected to happen before the month of August runs out.
Araqchi, on the other hand, voiced his critique on the European stance. As per his opinion, if the EU and the E3 nations aspire to be significant actors, they must exhibit responsible actions. He suggested abandoning the exhausted strategies of intimidation and strain, inclusive of the ‘snapback’, and argued that these actions not only lacked moral rationale but also legal grounding.
The snapback mechanism finds utility when there’s a need to reestablish UN sanctions before the resolution of the UN Security Council that supports the deal comes to expire on October 18. Before the recent outbreak of conflict between Israel and Iran, five rounds of nuclear-based discussions were facilitated between Tehran and Washington. These negotiations were overseen successfully by Oman.
However, major hurdles were encountered during these dialogues. One such stumbling block was Iran’s uranium enrichment process, which the Western powers intended to reduce to zero in an attempt to prevent its possible weaponisation. Tehran, on the contrary, holds onto its stance – claiming its nuclear program is aimed at civilian objectives and not for producing weapons.