Iran Holds First Nuclear Talks with European nations in Turkey

In the week of July 21 to July 28, 2025, Iranian representatives will hold resumed nuclear talks with several European nations over Iran’s nuclear program, with discussions hosted by Turkey.

These talks were scheduled days after European countries threatened to impose more sanctions on Tehran, Iran if it did not actively limit its nuclear activities.

Esmaeli Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, said, “The meeting between Iran, Britain, France, and Germany will take place at the deputy foreign minister level.”

Under a 2015 deal, Iran agreed to cut its enriched uranium stockpile by 98%, cap uranium enrichment at 3.67%, and allow inspections by the IAEA in return for relief from sanctions. However, the deal didn’t completely stop Iran’s enrichment program or regional activities, which concerned the US. Therefore, the US pulled out of it and began to reimpose certain sanctions on oil exports and Iran’s energy sector.

President Donald Trump claimed, “The Iran Deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into,” saying it failed to protect US national security interests. He argued that it failed to stop Iran’s development of nuclear weapons and its support for harmful groups in the Middle East. Both threatened US national security.

German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Martin Giese also said, “Iran must never come into possession of a nuclear weapon.” He also added that Germany, France, and Britain are “continuing to work … at high pressure on a sustainable and verifiable diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear program. This course of action is also coordinated with the US.”

Iran’s foreign minister accused the three European countries of failing to uphold their commitments to the 2015 deal and “providing political material support to the recent unprovoked and illegal military aggression of the Israeli regime and the US” according to PBS.

Previously, the US bombed three major nuclear sites in Iran in June while Israel started an air war. Nearly 1,100 Iranians were killed in 2025, but only 28 were killed in Israel.

Ever since US President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the 2015 deal, Iran gradually increased its nuclear stockpile, enriching uranium up to 60%.

However, Iran still denies any accusations of seeking a nuclear weapon and has long declared its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

The renewed nuclear talks in Turkey, hosted by Germany, Britain, and France, seek to ease tensions about Iran’s current nuclear program.

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/21/world/middleeast/iran-nuclear-talks-europe.html

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/iran-to-hold-nuclear-talks-with-european-nations-in-turkey-the-first-since-ceasefire-with-israel

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-hold-nuclear-talks-with-european-powers-friday-2025-07-20/

https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-ending-united-states-participation-unacceptable-iran-deal/

https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-iran-nuclear-deal