Delegations from Iran and the European powers of Britain, France, and Germany have concluded a second round of nuclear talks at Iran’s Consulate General in Istanbul, marking the latest diplomatic effort to revive momentum after months of stalled negotiations.
The closed-door meeting, which lasted more than three hours on Friday, was attended by Iranian Deputy Foreign Ministers Majid Takht-Ravanchi and Kazem Gharibabadi and senior representatives from the E3 countries.
The discussions followed a similar round held on May 16 in Istanbul.
Iran had agreed to resume the talks at the request of the European signatories to the 2015 nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
‘Serious, frank, and detailed’
Speaking after the meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi described the exchange as "serious, frank, and detailed," with both sides putting forward "specific ideas" regarding sanctions relief and nuclear commitments.
He added that Iran had reiterated its principled positions, including opposition to the automatic reimposition of sanctions under the JCPOA's "snapback" mechanism.
The delegations agreed to continue consultations in the coming weeks.
The European-led diplomatic track comes in parallel with a separate, stalled process of indirect talks between Iran and the United States.
Both tracks were disrupted following an Israeli air strike on Iran on June 13, which escalated regional tensions and temporarily derailed dialogue.
Despite the setbacks, all sides have expressed interest in maintaining diplomatic engagement as efforts to salvage the JCPOA continue.
