Nuclear Talks in the Shadow of Tensions: Iran and the E3 Struggle for Nuclear Agreement
Nuclear talks between Iran, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom took place in Istanbul, aimed at finding a solution to the controversial Iranian nuclear program. Although no concrete results have been announced yet, the talks are set to continue.
Iran is taking pride in its negotiations with Europe and sees the continuation of its nuclear program as a means of pressure. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons; sipo (https://www.flickr.com/photos/siposoft) / Flickr Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0 DEED, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en)
The meeting, the first of its kind since the Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities in June, took place under increased pressure. Iran had previously reaffirmed its intention to continue uranium enrichment. Tehran considers this to be an “achievement of its scientists” and a “matter of national pride.” An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman described the meeting as a “reality check for the Europeans."
European pressure and the threat of the snapback mechanism
For their part, the European countries (E3) threatened to resume sanctions if no progress was made in the nuclear negotiations in the coming weeks. Diplomatic circles said that Tehran must realize that without serious negotiations, the “snapback mechanism” would be triggered, as reported by ZDF. This mechanism would automatically reinstate all UN Security Council sanctions that were lifted in exchange for restrictions on Iran's nuclear program.
The snapback mechanism expires in October, which is why European countries are seeking an agreement by the end of August. The U.S. has expressed its support for the E3 strategy.
Iran's position, blame, and background
An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman criticized the threat of sanctions and questioned the legal basis of the three European countries for imposing international sanctions. According to Iran, the reintroduction of international sanctions would complicate the “situation” regarding its nuclear program. Iran has also blamed the three European countries for the failure of the 2015 nuclear agreement, saying they had “culpably and negligently” violated their obligations.
The 2015 nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was concluded by France, Germany, the UK, the U.S., Russia, and China with Iran to prevent the country from building a nuclear bomb. However, the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018 under President Donald Trump and reimposed massive sanctions. Iran then also gradually withdrew from the agreement.
The latest talks also took place against the backdrop of serious attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. On June 13, 2025, Israel launched a “major attack” on Iran, followed by U.S. bombing of the Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. After twelve days of war, a ceasefire came into effect; the extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear program remains unclear.
In the run-up to the nuclear talks in Istanbul, consultations had already taken place between Iran, Russia, and China on the possible reintroduction of sanctions. According to its Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, Iran is continuously coordinating with Russia and China to prevent the threatened snapback mechanism or to cushion its consequences.
International actors continue to emphasize that Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. Efforts to find a sustainable and verifiable diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear program are continuing at full speed.