Iran, E3 to resume nuclear talks in mid-January
Iran’s Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said a fresh round of talks between Iran and the European troika – Britain, France, and Germany – regarding Tehran’s nuclear program and regional issues is likely to kick off in mid-January.
During a weekly press briefing in Tehran on Monday, he noted that Iran and the three European countries, also known as E3, initially agreed to carry on with talks following the previous format and context.
The latest round of talks between Iran and E3 was held in November.
Iran has consistently stayed committed to negotiations over the past two decades in an effort to address concerns and has never abandoned the negotiating table, he highlighted.
Baghaei emphasized that Iran’s decisions will be based on the attitudes and actions of the parties involved.
Tensions between Iran and European countries have escalated over the past two years due to European accusations of Iran’s delivery of missiles and drones to Russia as well as Iran’s uranium enrichment.
The European countries and the United States have also sanctioned several Iranian individuals and institutions over the issues.
European countries claim that Iran has supplied ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the Ukraine conflict, an allegation that Tehran has categorically rejected.
In a recent action against Tehran, the European troika pushed the adoption of a resolution in the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in November. The resolution accused Tehran of poor cooperation with the agency and demanded a “comprehensive” report on its nuclear activities by spring 2025.
Developments in Syria
In response to a question about developments in Syria after the fall of president Bashar al-Assad, Baghaei said Syria should not become “a haven for terrorism,” saying such an outcome would have “repercussions” for countries in the region.
“Our principled position on Syria is very clear: preserving the sovereignty and integrity of Syria and for the people of Syria to decide on its future without destructive foreign interference,” Baghaei said.
According to Baghaei, Iran has been in contact with the opposition groups in Syria for a long time and its presence in Syria was aimed to prevent the advances of Daesh terrorists and the spread of terrorism throughout the region.
He added that Iran has contributed to “developing political processes” in Syria while clarifying that there is “no direct affiliation with the current administration” in the Arab country.
Assad left Syria earlier this month as militants led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group entered the capital Damascus after a lightning offensive.
The takeover by HTS – proscribed as a terrorist organization by many governments including the United States – has sparked concern, though the group has in recent years sought to moderate its image.