European and Iranian foreign ministers tested the ground for nuclear talks - Reuters

The foreign ministers of Great Britain, France, and Germany (E3 format), as well as the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, met on Friday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi, seeking to assess Tehran's readiness to return to negotiations on a new nuclear deal. This was reported by Reuters, citing diplomatic sources, transmitted by UNN.

Details

Before the meeting in Geneva, the Europeans consulted with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who, according to sources, expressed Washington's readiness for direct contacts with Iran, despite considering the option of the US joining Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

There has been no official confirmation from the US side; however, CNN, citing an American official, reported that President Donald Trump supports the allies' efforts towards a diplomatic resolution to the conflict and the preparation of a new agreement.

Iran cannot speak directly with the Americans, but we can. We will urge them to return to the negotiating table while there is still time, and at the same time express concerns about their missile program, support for Russia, and the illegal detention of our citizens.

The meeting in Geneva, which took place against the backdrop of an escalation of the situation in the Middle East, was an attempt to test Tehran's readiness to start negotiations with the European troika - even without US participation - in a format of so-called parallel diplomacy. This refers to a new agreement that could envisage enhanced supervision of Iran's nuclear activities and, possibly, restrictions on its missile program.

However, Iran has repeatedly stated that it will not return to negotiations with the US as long as Israeli strikes continue. According to two European diplomats, Israel is not ready for a ceasefire in the near future, which makes the resumption of negotiations with Washington unlikely.

Europeans seek to agree on the political framework of the agreement as soon as possible to achieve at least partial concessions from Iran and achieve a truce before the start of deeper negotiations.

Despite the Trump administration demanding a complete halt to uranium enrichment by Iran, E3 countries previously allowed limited enrichment for peaceful purposes in exchange for strict international control. On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron moved closer to the US position, stating that a new agreement should aim for a complete cessation of enrichment.

The Iranian representative has already reacted to this, stating in a comment to Reuters that Iran is ready to discuss restrictions but will reject a complete abandonment of enrichment, especially given the ongoing attacks from Israel.

In his speech at the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, Aragchi accused Israel of "betrayal of diplomacy," while the Israeli ambassador expressed "strong protest" against the Iranian minister's speech.

Geneva holds symbolic significance - it was here in 2013 that the first agreement was concluded between Iran and world powers to limit the nuclear program in exchange for easing sanctions, which later evolved into the full-fledged nuclear deal of 2015.

Separate negotiations between Iran and the US broke down after the start of Operation "Nation of Lions," which Israel launched against Iranian nuclear and missile facilities on June 12.

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Diplomats do not dare to expect a breakthrough from the negotiations in Geneva, but they emphasize: even after the end of the military conflict, the nuclear issue will remain unresolved, as Iran still possesses the necessary technologies.

According to sources, President Trump is expected to make a decision within two weeks regarding US participation in Israel's military campaign. Meanwhile, Europeans are seeking to use every chance to keep the diplomatic channel open.

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Recall

The conflict escalated after Israel's attack on Iran, which was a response to Tehran's previous attacks. Iran responded with a missile strike.