The next round of talks with European powers will take place one week before Trump’s return to the White House.
The next round of nuclear talks between Iran and France, the United Kingdom and Germany will take place in Geneva in January, as reported by Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency, citing Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.
On Wednesday, Gharibabadi stated, “The new round of talks between Iran and three European countries will be held in Geneva on January 13.”
In November, Iran engaged in discussions with the three European powers regarding its disputed nuclear programme. These discussions took place shortly after Tehran’s reaction to a Europe-backed resolution criticizing Iran’s cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.
In response to the resolution, Tehran informed the IAEA watchdog of its plans to increase the number of uranium-enriching centrifuges at its enrichment plants.
On December 17, the European countries accused Iran of increasing its stockpile of high-enriched uranium to unprecedented levels without any credible civilian justification. They are considering the re-imposition of sanctions to prevent Iran from advancing its nuclear programme.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi stated in December that Iran is accelerating its uranium enrichment to up to 60 percent purity, nearing weapons-grade levels. However, Tehran maintains its stance on nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and denies any intention of developing nuclear weapons.
In 2015, Iran reached an agreement with world powers, including the US, to limit its nuclear programme amid concerns over potential weapon development.
Following the US withdrawal from the nuclear pact in 2018 and the reimposition of sanctions by the Trump administration, Iran began violating the agreement’s limits by increasing uranium stockpiles, enhancing purity, and installing advanced centrifuges.
Efforts to revive the pact through indirect talks between the Biden administration and Tehran have failed so far. Trump, during his election campaign in September, emphasized the need to reach a deal due to the dire consequences of not doing so.
The scheduled talks on January 13 will occur just one week before Trump’s expected return to the White House.
