Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Thursday that Iran is ready to resume “fair” negotiations over its nuclear program, provided the West shows “goodwill”.
Araghchi made this statement in a letter he sent to European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, hours after the E3 – Britain, France and Germany – announced that they would trigger the “snapback” mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran.
“Araqchi reaffirmed Iran’s readiness to resume fair and balanced diplomatic negotiations, on the condition that the other parties show seriousness and goodwill and avoid actions that harm the chances of success,” the Iranian Foreign Minister wrote in the letter, as quoted by Reuters.
Earlier, Britain, France, and Germany initiated a 30-day process to reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran, citing ongoing violations of the 2015 nuclear deal.
In a letter to the UN Security Council revealed by Reuters, the European trio announced the activation of the snapback mechanism, a procedure that allows for the restoration of sanctions lifted under the nuclear agreement. The E3 acted before an October deadline that would remove their authority to trigger the mechanism.
The move came after several rounds of talks with Iran failed to result in an agreement. The E3 have been pressuring Iran to revive nuclear inspections and diplomacy, which have been largely stalled since the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal expired. They had conditioned any extension of the “snapback” on Iran’s resumption of UN inspections, including accounting for its large stockpile of enriched uranium, and engaging in diplomacy, which could involve the United States. Tehran has repeatedly ruled out direct talks with Washington.
This week’s talks were reportedly tense, with Iran still furious over the June bombing of its nuclear facilities by the US and Israel, allies of the E3.
According to a source with knowledge who spoke to Axios’ Barak Ravid, the Iranians “haven’t put tangible detailed deliverables on the table.”