Daijiworld Media Network – Geneva
Geneva, Jan 14: In a significant diplomatic development, Iran and three European nations—France, Britain, and Germany—have agreed to resume discussions on lifting sanctions and addressing Tehran's nuclear programme, a senior Iranian official revealed.
Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister, shared the update on social media platform X as a fresh round of talks commenced in Geneva involving the European Union and the three European powers. The discussions are expected to delve into regional and global issues alongside nuclear concerns, Xinhua news agency reported.
Describing the negotiations as ‘serious, frank, and constructive,’ Gharibabadi stated that detailed conversations focused on removing sanctions and resolving nuclear-related challenges essential for reaching a deal.
“All parties agreed on the need to restart talks addressing sanctions and Iran's nuclear programme,” he said, emphasizing the importance of fostering ‘a conducive environment’ for achieving a resolution.
The current talks mark the first high-level meeting since November 2024, when diplomats convened in Geneva to address escalating tensions over Iran’s nuclear ambitions and regional developments.
Iran's nuclear programme has been a point of contention since the 2015 nuclear agreement, which saw Tehran agree to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. The US withdrawal from the pact in 2018 and subsequent re-imposition of sanctions prompted Iran to scale back its commitments, sparking international concern.
Efforts to revive the 2015 deal began in Vienna in 2021 but have stalled despite numerous rounds of discussions.
In December, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France expressed “extreme concern” over Iran’s nuclear advancements. Their joint statement urged Tehran to “immediately halt its nuclear escalation” following reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) indicating uranium enrichment levels nearing 60 percent purity—approaching the threshold required for weaponization.
As talks progress, diplomatic watchers remain cautiously optimistic about the potential for renewed agreements to address sanctions and ensure nuclear non-proliferation.