Iran to hold nuclear talks with UK, France, Germany in Istanbul
TEHRAN
Iran's top diplomat said Wednesday a new round of talks on his country's nuclear program with Britain, France and Germany was likely to be held in Türkiye later this week.
"The next round, at the level of deputy foreign ministers, I think, is scheduled to be held in Istanbul on Friday [on May 15]," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Tehran.
French diplomatic sources also told AFP the meeting would take place in the Turkish city on May 16, adding it would be held at the level of political directors.
There was still no word from London or Berlin on the meeting, which was originally slated for earlier this month but postponed.
Iran has held several discreet meetings on the nuclear issue with the three European nations since late last year, most recently in February in Geneva, ahead of indirect negotiations with Washington that began on April 12.
"While we continue the dialogue with the United States, we are also ready to talk with the Europeans," Araghchi said.
"Unfortunately, the Europeans themselves have become somewhat isolated in these negotiations with their own policies," he added, without elaborating.
"We do not want such a situation and that's why we have continued our negotiations" with them, he said.
The May 16’s expected meeting follows a round of Oman-mediated talks between Tehran and Washington on May 11.
The four rounds of U.S.-Iran talks were the highest-level contact in years between the long-time foes, since U.S. President Donald Trump in 2018 abandoned the 2015 nuclear accord with world powers.
[HH] Trump urges enforcement of Iran sanctions amid talks
In a related development, Trump urged vigorous enforcement of sanctions on Iran on Wednesday, even as he said he hoped to reach a negotiated agreement in nuclear talks.
"I want to make a deal with Iran. I want to do something, if it's possible," Trump told a summit of Gulf Arab leaders in Riyadh.
"But for that to happen, it must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars, and permanently and verifiably cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons.
"I'm strongly urging all nations to join us in fully and totally enforcing the sanctions that I just placed on Iran," he said.
