France, Germany, and Britain lack the authority to trigger a mechanism under the 2015 nuclear deal to reinstate UN sanctions on Tehran, Iran’s foreign minister said in a letter to the UN secretary general ahead of a fresh round of talks with the E3 slated for Friday.

“The E3 have relinquished their role as ‘Participants’ in the JCPOA, making any attempt to reinstate terminated UNSC resolutions null and void,” Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X on Sunday.

He said the three European countries “lack any legal, political, and moral standing to invoke the mechanisms of the JCPOA and UN Resolution 2231” after what he called their support for the Israeli-American war on Iran and their violation of their commitments under the deal and the resolution.

The remarks were part of a letter he wrote to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and the president of United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

New round of talks

Iran and the European troika will hold nuclear talks on Friday in Istanbul, Turkey, Iran’s state TV announced on Sunday, citing the foreign ministry spokesman.

Deputy foreign ministers Kazem Gharibabadi and Majid Takht-Ravanchi will represent Iran in the nuclear talks with Britain, France and Germany, Esmaeil Baghaei said.

The talks are being held upon the E3’s request, he added.

“We are in a strong position and are pursuing our rights more firmly than before,” the state broadcaster reported citing foreign minister Araghchi.

Tehran’s diplomatic efforts come ahead of the E3’s late August deadline to trigger the so-called “snapback” mechanism.

On Thursday, the E3 told Iran that they would restore the UN sanctions unless it reopened talks on its nuclear program immediately and produced concrete results by the end of August.

The snapback mechanism is part of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. It allows any participant in the nuclear agreement — the E3, Russia and China — to reimpose sanctions if Iran is deemed non-compliant. If no resolution to maintain sanctions relief is passed within 30 days, all previous UN measures return automatically.

In a phone call with Araghchi on Thursday, EU foreign policy chief Kallas offered the extension of the snapback deadline under the nuclear deal, the Wall Street Journal reported citing sources, provided Iran resume cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and place specific limits on its enriched uranium stockpile.

Germany’s foreign minister,. vowed to trigger the snapback mechanism if no deal is reached by the end of summer.

“We are firmly determined, firstly, to do everything possible to achieve a negotiated diplomatic solution (on Iran nuclear program), but secondly, we are equally determined, if that fails, to activate the snapback mechanism,” Johann Wadephul said on Friday.

The European Union has proposed to Iran an extension to a deadline for invoking renewed United Nations sanctions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, as nuclear diplomacy appears to gain pace following a 12-day Mideast war last month.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany, along with the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Thursday.

During the call, Kallas offered an extension of the snapback deadline under the nuclear deal, Wall Street Journal reporter Laurence Norman wrote on X citing sources, provided Iran resume cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and place specific limits on its enriched uranium stockpile.

Germany’s foreign minister, however, struck a tougher tone on Friday, vowing to trigger the snapback mechanism if no deal is reached by the end of summer.

“We are firmly determined, firstly, to do everything possible to achieve a negotiated diplomatic solution (on Iran nuclear program), but secondly, we are equally determined, if that fails, to activate the snapback mechanism,” Johann Wadephul said.

Axios reported on Friday that senior diplomats from Iran and the three European countries are scheduled to meet next week, possibly in Vienna or Geneva.

Iran is expected to be represented by Deputy Foreign Ministers Kazem Gharibabadi and Majid Takht Ravanchi, the report added citing a source with knowledge of the matter.

Iran is reviewing a request from the three European countries to resume nuclear talks, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News reported citing sources. However, the time and venue for the potential talks have yet to be determined, the report added.

Tasnim confirmed the talks are expected to be held at the level of deputy foreign ministers.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the offer to extend the snapback deadline is a one-off proposal and any extension would depend on China and Russia at the UN Security Council.

“Iran was non-committal in response,” Norman said.

Under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, any party to a now lapsed 2015 nuclear agreement, including France, Germany, Britain, Russia or China—can file a complaint accusing Iran of non-compliance.

If no agreement is reached within 30 days to maintain sanctions relief, all previous UN sanctions would automatically “snap back,” including arms embargoes, cargo inspections and missile restrictions.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday criticized the possibility of a snapback triggered by Europe, warning that “Iran will deliver a proportionate and appropriate response if European parties move to re-activate the UN snapback mechanism.”

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s president on Wednesday ordered the country to suspend its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency after American and Israeli airstrikes hit its most-important nuclear facilities, likely further limiting inspectors’ ability to track Tehran’s program that had been enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels.

The order by President Masoud Pezeshkian included no timetables or details about what that suspension would entail. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signaled in a CBS News interview that Tehran still would be willing to continue negotiations with the United States.

“I don’t think negotiations will restart as quickly as that,” Araghchi said, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments that talks could start as early as this week. However, he added: “The doors of diplomacy will never slam shut.”

Pressure tactic

Iran has limited IAEA inspections in the past as a pressure tactic in negotiating with the West — though as of right now Tehran has denied that there’s any immediate plans to resume talks with the United States that had been upended by the 12-day Iran-Israel war.

Iranian state television announced Pezeshkian’s order, which followed a law passed by Iran’s parliament to suspend that cooperation. The bill already received the approval of Iran’s constitutional watchdog, the Guardian Council, on Thursday, and likely the support of the country’s Supreme National Security Council, which Pezeshkian chairs.

“The government is mandated to immediately suspend all cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency under the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons and its related Safeguards Agreement,” state television quoted the bill as saying. “This suspension will remain in effect until certain conditions are met, including the guaranteed security of nuclear facilities and scientists.”

It wasn’t immediately clear what that would mean for the Vienna-based IAEA, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog. The agency long has monitored Iran’s nuclear program and said that it was waiting for an official communication from Iran on what the suspension meant.

A diplomat with knowledge of IAEA operations, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the situation in Iran, said that IAEA inspectors were still there after the announcement and hadn’t been told by the government to leave.

Israel condemns the move

Iran’s decision drew an immediate condemnation from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.

“Iran has just issued a scandalous announcement about suspending its cooperation with the IAEA,” he said in an X post. “This is a complete renunciation of all its international nuclear obligations and commitments.”

US President Donald Trump said late on Thursday that he will decide whether to join Israel’s strikes on Iran within the next two weeks as there is still a “substantial” chance of negotiations to end the conflict.

Trump has been weighing whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried under a mountain and widely considered to be out of reach of all but America’s “bunker-buster” bombs. His statement was read out by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump told aides he approved attack plans but is holding off to see if Iran will give up its nuclear programme.

Meanwhile, Tehran ally Moscow said any US military action “would be an extremely dangerous step”, while pro-Iran groups in Iraq threatened retaliatory attacks.

Summary IAEA warns of dangers of attacks on nuclear facilities

Guterres says conflict could shape ‘our collective future’

Russia and China demand de-escalation

US supports Israeli actions against Iran’s nuclear ambitions

June 20 (Reuters) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Friday that expansion of the Israel-Iran conflict could “ignite a fire no one can control” and called on both sides and potential parties to the conflict to “give peace a chance.”

Representatives from Israel and Iran later traded angry accusations at the same UN Security Council meeting, with Israel vowing not to stop its attacks.

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The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency, meanwhile, warned that attacks on nuclear facilities could result in “radioactive releases with great consequences within and beyond boundaries” of the state attacked and called for maximum restraint.

Guterres said there were “moments when the directions taken will shape not just the fate of nations, but potentially our collective future”.

“This is such a moment,” he said.

He said the conflict must not be allowed to expand.

“To the parties to the conflict, the potential parties to the conflict, and to the Security Council as the representative of the international community, I have a simple and clear message: give peace a chance,” Guterres said.

The Security Council session took place as European foreign ministers met their Iranian counterpart on Friday hoping to test Tehran’s readiness to negotiate a new nuclear deal despite there being scant prospect of Israel ceasing its attacks soon.

Israel has repeatedly bombed nuclear targets in Iran, which it sees as components of a weapons program, and Iran has fired missiles and drones at Israel as a week-old air war escalated with no sign yet of an exit strategy from either side.

The White House said on Thursday U.S. President Donald Trump would make a decision within the next two weeks whether to get involved on Israel’s side.

Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. It said on Friday it would not discuss the future of the program while under attack by Israel, which is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons. Israel neither confirms nor denies this.

Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said Iran would continue to defend itself from Israeli attacks, while his Israeli counterpart Danny Danon vowed: “We will not stop. Not until Iran’s nuclear threat is dismantled, not until its war machine is disarmed, not until our people and yours are safe.”

Iravani said Iran was “alarmed by credible reports that the United States… may be joining this war,” and accused Israel of hitting five hospitals in its attacks, a charge for which Danon demanded he provide evidence.

Danon said Israel sought genuine efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities from Friday’s meeting between European and Iranian ministers, not just another round of talks

Item 1 of 3 Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, speaks during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, about the conflict between Israel and Iran, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., June 20, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid [1/3] Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, speaks during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, about the conflict between Israel and Iran, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., June 20, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab

“We have seen diplomatic talks for the last few decades, and look at the results,” he told reporters. “If it is going to be like another session and debates, that’s not going to work.”

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, outlined Israeli attacks on nuclear facilities at Natanz, Isfahan and Arak.

He said the level of radioactivity outside Iran’s Natanz site had remained unchanged and at normal levels, indicating no external radiological impact on the population or the environment there.

However, he said that within the facility there was both radiological and chemical contamination. He said the IAEA was not aware of any damage at Iran’s Fordow plant at this time.

An attack on Iran’s Bushehr plant would be most serious, he said: “It is an operating nuclear power plant and hosts thousands of kilograms of nuclear material.”

“I want to make it absolutely and completely clear: In the case of an attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant, a direct hit would result in a very high release of radioactivity to the environment,” Grossi said.

“Similarly, a hit that disabled the only two lines supplying electrical power to the plant could cause its reactor’s core to melt.”

He said any action against the Tehran nuclear research reactor will also have severe consequences, “potentially for large areas of the city of Tehran and its inhabitants.”

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Dorothy Camille Shea, said the United States “continues to stand with Israel and supports its actions against Iran’s nuclear ambitions.”

“We can no longer ignore that Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon,” she said.

Russia’s UN ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, said Israel’s actions risked pulling third countries into the conflict and internationalization of the conflict must be avoided.

He said targeting of what he called Iran’s peaceful civilian nuclear facilities was “liable to plunge us into a hither to unseen nuclear catastrophe.”

Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. Israel is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons. It neither confirms nor denies this.

Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Mark Porter, Alexandra Hudson and Diane Craft

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