Tasnim: Iran, E3 set to resume nuclear talks in New York

Iran and three European countries of France, Britain, and Germany, collectively known as the E3, are set to hold high-level talks on Tehran’s nuclear program in New York on September 22 or 23, sources say.

The talks, taking place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), will be held at the foreign minister level and will also include the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, according to Tasnim news agency.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi left for New York on September 21, leading a diplomatic delegation. According to Iran’s foreign ministry, Araghchi is scheduled to engage in a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings with his international counterparts on a range of regional and global issues during the UNGA session.

The upcoming talks come at a critical time for the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which has been under mounting pressure. On September 19, the UN Security Council failed to adopt a resolution to extend sanctions relief for Iran under the deal.

Tensions escalated last month when the E3 triggered the JCPOA's "snapback" mechanism, allowing for the reimposition of UN sanctions within 30 days if Iran is found in breach of the agreement. Those sanctions are expected to be reinstated later this month.

By Sabina Mammadli