ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran on Monday said it held “constructive” talks with European powers in Geneva on nuclear negotiations and the lifting of sanctions.
“The talks were serious, frank, and constructive. While going into some detail, we discussed and explored ideas in the two areas of sanctions relief and nuclear that are essential to reaching an agreement,” Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, said on X about the meeting with officials from Britain, France, and Germany - known as E3.
There was a consensus to continue discussions in order to achieve a resolution, according to Gharibabadi.
It was the second such meeting to be held in less than two months.
British, German, and French representatives labeled the talks as “serious, frank, and constructive.”
“Against a challenging context, we discussed concerns & reiterated our commitment to a diplomatic solution. We agreed to continue our dialogue,” they said on X.
In their previous meeting with the E3, Iranian officials stated that they had not negotiated but had “simply discussed and exchanged opinions.”
The talks also come a week before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office, who in 2018 withdrew from the Tehran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and imposed biting sanctions on the Islamic republic.
Under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, known as JCPOA, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear enrichment program in exchange for much-needed relief from crippling sanctions.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier this month that Tehran is prioritizing efforts to release the country’s frozen assets through diplomatic measures to relieve the Islamic republic from external economic struggles.
The US and European countries have continued to impose sanctions to hold Iran accountable for its actions and attacks targeting Western allies.
In December, Iran said it would consider dropping out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in case the “snapback” mechanism is enforced.
The “snapback” mechanism described in the nuclear deal restores United Nations sanctions against Iran that were lifted under the agreement.
Ali Larijani, an advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, indicated in November that Tehran would be willing to enter a new nuclear agreement with US President-elect Donald Trump, but that it has conditions, including compensation for damages caused by Washington’s withdrawal.
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