Shafaq News – London

France, Germany, and the United Kingdom on Friday decided to revive long-stalled talks with Iran over its nuclear program, ''seeking to break years of deadlock and reopen a path toward a lasting agreement.''

In a joint statement, the three governments, collectively known as the European Troika (E3), expressed determination to resume talks with Iran and the United States to reach a “comprehensive, lasting, and verifiable agreement” that would prevent Tehran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon.

The announcement came less than two weeks after the E3 activated the snapback mechanism, restoring UN sanctions, following the collapse of negotiations with Western powers. The renewed measures include an arms embargo and a range of economic restrictions.

Tehran, however, indicated earlier this week that it has no plans to return to the negotiating table “at this time.”

Western countries and Israel accuse Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon — a charge Tehran rejects, maintaining that its nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes.

In 2015, after years of talks, France, Britain, Germany, the United States, Russia, and China reached a deal with Tehran that curbed its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. The United States withdrew from the pact in 2018, reimposing its own sanctions. In response, Iran gradually rolled back key commitments, including limits on uranium enrichment, prompting the European trio to activate the return of UN sanctions.

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