Iran meets European powers amid threats of UN sanctions snapback

TDT | Manama

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Iranian diplomats were meeting counterparts from Germany, Britain and France on Friday for renewed nuclear talks, amid warnings that the three European powers could trigger "snapback" sanctions outlined under the 2015 deal.

The meeting in Istanbul is the first since Israel's mid-June attack on Iran, which sparked a 12-day war and targeted key nuclear and military sites.

The meeting was due to last until 12:30 pm local time (0930 GMT), according to Iranian state television.

Israel's offensive -- which killed top commanders, nuclear scientists and hundreds of others as residential areas were struck as well -- also derailed US-Iran nuclear talks that began in April.

Since then, the European powers, known as the E3, have threatened to trigger the "snapback mechanism", which would reinstate United Nations sanctions on Iran by the end of August, under the effectively moribund 2015 nuclear deal.

The option to trigger the snapback expires in October, and Tehran has warned of consequences should the E3 opt to activate it.

"Inaction by the E3 is not an option," a European source said, noting that Tehran would be reminded during the meeting that the snapback window closes this autumn.

The source said Europeans are preparing to trigger the mechanism "in the absence of a negotiated solution" and called on Iran to make "clear gestures" regarding uranium enrichment and the resumption of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.

Ahead of the talks on Friday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the meeting would be a "test of realism for the Europeans and a valuable opportunity to correct their views on Iran's nuclear issue", in remarks to the official IRNA news agency.