New round of nuclear talks between Iran and the European trio in Geneva

(Patria) - Nuclear talks between Iran and the United Kingdom, France, and Germany are scheduled for today in Geneva, Switzerland.

Iran and the three European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal, together with the EU, will hold a new round of talks at the level of deputy foreign ministers, Iranian state television announced.

The meeting will be the second since Iran's 12-day war with Israel in mid-June, during which the US carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The previous round of talks was held on July 25 in Istanbul.

Today's negotiations follow Iran's suspension of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog after the war with Israel.

Tehran has highlighted the failure of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to condemn Israeli and US attacks on its nuclear facilities.

The unprecedented Israeli bombing and Iran's retaliation during the 12-day war disrupted Tehran's nuclear talks with Washington.

The European trio has threatened to activate the "snapback mechanism" under the 2015 nuclear deal, which would reimpose UN sanctions lifted under the agreement, unless Iran agrees to limit uranium enrichment and resume cooperation with IAEA inspectors.

Iran disputes the legality of invoking that clause, accusing the Europeans of failing to meet their obligations under the deal.

The United Kingdom, France, and Germany, together with China, Russia, and the US, reached an agreement with Iran in 2015 formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The agreement provided Iran with sanctions relief in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program to guarantee that Tehran cannot develop nuclear weapons - something it has always denied wanting to do.

Washington's unilateral withdrawal from the agreement in 2018 during the first term of President Donald Trump and the reimposition of harsh economic sanctions, however, prompted Iran to begin reneging on its own commitments, particularly regarding uranium enrichment.

At the time of the US withdrawal, London, Paris, and Berlin reaffirmed their commitment to the deal and announced their intention to continue trading with Iran. As a result, UN and European sanctions were not reinstated, even after Trump renewed US sanctions.

The mechanism that European countries envisioned to compensate for the return of US sanctions, however, proved difficult to implement, and many Western companies were forced to leave Iran, which faces high inflation and an economic crisis.

The deadline for activating the snapback mechanism expires in October, but according to the Financial Times, the Europeans have offered an extension if Iran continues nuclear talks with Washington and re-engages with the IAEA.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the Europeans have no right to do so, AFP reports.