Iran, E3 to resume nuclear talks in Istanbul amid sanctions threat

Iran will engage in high-level nuclear consultations with the United Kingdom, France, and Germany—collectively known as the E3—on May 16 in Istanbul, Türkiye, as efforts to salvage the remnants of the 2015 nuclear agreement continue amid escalating regional and international tensions.

The discussions will take place at the deputy foreign ministry level, marking a renewed attempt to re-establish dialogue between Tehran and the European signatories of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

The Istanbul meeting follows a year of frayed relations between Iran and the E3, fueled by the imposition of new European sanctions targeting Tehran’s ballistic missile program, its detention of foreign nationals, and its alignment with Moscow in the war in Ukraine.

Diplomatic sources confirmed the meeting, stating that both sides are keen to position themselves ahead of an expected fifth round of indirect US-Iranian negotiations scheduled to resume in the coming days. Talks originally planned for May 2 were postponed, as European powers hesitated over fears that opening a separate track with Tehran could undercut US-led efforts to contain Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

However, European diplomats ultimately concluded that “it was in their interest to maintain dialogue with Iran and reaffirm how they envisaged the parameters of a new nuclear deal,” one source told Reuters.

Iran, in turn, appears eager to assess the E3’s stance, particularly concerning the possibility of the reimposition of United Nations sanctions through the so-called "snapback mechanism." Iranian foreign minister on May 12 warned European officials against triggering the mechanism, which could restore international sanctions lifted under the 2015 nuclear accord.

Under a UN Security Council resolution that endorsed the JCPOA, the E3 are entitled to invoke the snapback mechanism before October 18 if they determine Iran is in significant non-compliance with the deal. According to diplomats and a document reviewed by Reuters, the European powers may consider triggering the snapback by August should diplomatic efforts fail to yield substantial progress.

Despite the E3’s absence from the ongoing US-Iran negotiations—most recently held in Oman on May 11—European capitals have remained closely aligned with Washington on Iran policy. Coordination continues as both sides evaluate whether to intensify pressure on Tehran in the absence of a revived deal.

US President Donald Trump, who withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, has taken a hardline stance, declaring that “Iran must not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon” and warning of possible military action if diplomatic efforts do not succeed.

Tehran, for its part, maintains that its nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful, civilian energy purposes. Nevertheless, the country has taken significant steps away from its JCPOA commitments since the US withdrawal, raising alarm among Western governments.

By Vafa Guliyeva