Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has expressed his willingness to visit Germany, France, and Britain for nuclear talks as part of efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal that was abandoned after the U.S. withdrawal in 2018.
Araghchi’s statement comes as Tehran recently reopened nuclear talks with the United States, conducting two rounds of discussions mediated by Oman. A third round is scheduled for this Saturday in Oman.
The E3 countries (Germany, France, and the UK), along with the U.S., were signatories to the 2015 agreement, which provided relief from international sanctions in exchange for Iran curbing its nuclear program. However, the agreement collapsed after U.S. President Donald Trump’s withdrawal in 2018.
“After my recent consultations in Moscow and Beijing, I am ready to take the first step with visits to Paris, Berlin, and London,” Araghchi wrote on X. He emphasized his openness to discuss not only nuclear issues but also any other areas of mutual concern.
Araghchi had previously met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss the nuclear issue. However, he expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of relations with the E3, stating that they are “currently in decline.”
Key points from Araghchi’s statement include:
- Araghchi’s willingness to visit major European capitals for nuclear discussions.
- The decline in relations with the E3 since the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 agreement.
- Iran’s gradual withdrawal from the agreement, including increasing uranium enrichment to 60%, far above the 3.67% limit set in the deal, though still below the 90% required for nuclear weapons.
France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Christophe Lemoine stated that Paris will wait to see whether Araghchi’s announcement is followed by concrete action. Germany and Britain have not yet commented on the possibility of hosting the Iranian foreign minister.
Since the U.S. pulled out of the deal, Iran complied with the agreement for a year before gradually reducing its commitments, including increasing uranium enrichment.
