Defiant message from Araqchi
Speaking Thursday in Tehran, Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi declared that “our enrichment will continue; we will not relinquish this right,” adding that Iran would “steadfastly defend the rights of the Iranian people in peaceful nuclear energy.” His remarks, first reported by Tasnim News Agency, set a combative tone just hours before Iranian and European diplomats reconvened in Turkey for the sixth round of discussions aimed at reviving the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Background: air strikes and diplomatic fallout
Tension has soared since Israeli air raids and subsequent U.S. strikes damaged three Iranian nuclear sites last week—a move Tehran says “gravely violated” the UN Charter and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iran insists its response has been proportionate and within JCPOA limits, while Washington and Tel Aviv accuse Tehran of edging toward weapons capability. European capitals, caught between their U.S. ally and fear of regional escalation, have urged Iran to freeze enrichment above 3.67 percent and to restore full International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitoring.
Europe urged to “correct its course”
Foreign-Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei on Friday framed the Istanbul meeting as “a chance for the E3 to rectify past missteps and prove whether they can act independently.” He criticised London, Paris, and Berlin for what he called “apologetic” reactions to the strikes. He warned that any European attempt to trigger the JCPOA’s snap-back mechanism “lacks legal, ethical, and rational basis.” According to Baqaei, the trio has “disqualified themselves” by supporting attacks on Iran’s “peaceful facilities,” thereby undermining their standing to enforce the very deal they have violated.
Istanbul session: Frank but inconclusive
Inside the Iranian Consulate in Istanbul, Deputy Foreign Ministers Majid Takht Ravanchi and Kazem Gharibabadi met political directors from the UK, France, and Germany for four hours. Gharibabadi described the exchange as “serious, frank and detailed,” noting that sanctions relief, enrichment levels, and the contested snap-back clause dominated the agenda. “Both sides came with specific ideas,” he posted on X, “and it was agreed that consultations will continue.” No joint communiqué was issued, but diplomats confirmed a follow-up session would be scheduled “within weeks.”
Snap-back showdown looms
European officials have privately floated re-tabling pre-2015 UN sanctions if Iran refuses to cap enrichment. Tehran counters that Resolution 2231—passed alongside the JCPOA—explicitly recognises its right to civilian enrichment and nullified earlier embargoes. “Reinstating resolutions scrapped in 2015 is groundless and illegitimate,” Baqaei said, warning that any move to do so would “destroy the deal for good.” Analysts note that invoking snap-back would not require U.S. consent, but could shatter already fragile talks and push Iran to escalate nuclear work further.
IAEA access in question
Baqaei confirmed that a senior IAEA envoy is expected in Tehran “within weeks” to negotiate a new monitoring framework. However, he ruled out visits to sites recently struck by Israel and the United States, citing safety concerns and a parliamentary law that links expanded inspections to tangible sanctions relief. **Iran remains a signatory to the NPT and Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement but says deeper cooperation now hinges on “reciprocal trust.”**
Outlook
With both sides unwilling to retreat on their core positions—sanctions relief for Tehran and enrichment curbs for Europe—the Istanbul channel keeps diplomacy alive but fragile. As negotiators prepare to reconvene, a senior EU diplomat admitted, “We are still searching for the narrow path that salvages the JCPOA without igniting another Middle-East crisis.” For now, Iran’s centrifuges keep spinning, and the clock on potential snap-back action continues to tick.
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