Before sanctions take effect… European countries urge Iran to take concrete action within the next few hours regarding its nuclear program

European countries urged Iran to take concrete action on its nuclear program, following foreign ministerial talks held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, days before the re-imposition of international sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

The foreign ministers of the European Troika (France, Germany, and the United Kingdom), along with the European Union’s foreign policy chief, met with their Iranian counterpart to continue intensive talks that began months ago but haven’t achieved any real breakthrough.

The German Foreign Ministry said in a post on X that the Europeans “urged Iran to take concrete measures in the coming days, and even hours, to address long-standing concerns about its nuclear program”.

For its part, the Iranian Foreign Ministry reiterated its criticism of the UN Security Council’s vote to reimpose economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic, while also pointing to some ideas and proposals for continuing diplomacy.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry indicated that talks with Westerners would continue, without specifying a date.

In Tehran, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stressed that his country won’t succumb to pressure, particularly regarding the issue of abandoning uranium enrichment.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tuesday that engaging in talks with the United States over its nuclear program is of no benefit to Iran.

In a televised speech, he pointed out that negotiating with the United States isn’t only unproductive, but also causes significant damage under the current circumstances, some of which can be described as irreparable”.

He believed that negotiations with the Americans weren’t in Iran’s interest, explaining, “It’s impossible to negotiate with an interlocutor like this… Any negotiations with the United States regarding the nuclear issue… are doomed to failure”.

Iran has until midnight on Saturday to reach an agreement with the Europeans that would prevent the reimposition of UN sanctions that were suspended under an international agreement concluded in 2015.

Last week, the UN Security Council approved the reimposition of these sanctions after European countries activated the snapback mechanism stipulated in the agreement, from which the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.

Last week, Iranians and Europeans traded accusations of causing the failure of diplomatic efforts after the Security Council voted to reimpose sanctions, which are scheduled to take effect on Sunday unless a new resolution is adopted to keep them suspended.

The nuclear program has long been a thorny issue in Iran’s relations with Western countries, most notably the United States and Israel, Tehran’s arch-enemy.

Western countries and Israel suspect that Tehran is seeking to acquire a nuclear bomb, a charge Iran denies, asserting its right to continue its nuclear program for civilian purposes.

Iran suspended its participation in negotiations with the United States regarding its nuclear program following the war launched by Israel in June, during which its targeted military nuclear facilities and civilian sites.

Washington intervened in this war by bombing three Iranian nuclear facilities.

The Europeans set three conditions for extending the sanctions relief period: the resumption of direct and unconditional negotiations, full access for IAEA inspectors to nuclear sites, and accurate information on the locations of enriched material.

For its part, Tehran accuses the Europeans of exerting political pressure and says it has put forward a balanced proposal, the details of which haven’t been revealed.

The United States plays a pivotal role in the issue, despite its withdrawal from the agreement during Donald Trump’s first term.

In 2015, the three European countries, along with the United States, China, and Russia, concluded an agreement with Iran known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which stipulated restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program and guaranteed its peaceful nature in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions on Tehran.

Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement in 2018 and imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic as part of his maximum pressure policy.

In response, Tehran has backed away from some of its commitments, particularly regarding uranium enrichment levels.

Last week, the European Troika foreign ministers again offered their Iranian counterparts an extension of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 to extend the sanctions relief period by six months and facilitate a new agreement in the interim, even if it were temporary.

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, confirmed on Monday that negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program are at a “difficult turning point,” but he considered that a diplomatic solution remains possible.