Description: Foreign officials from the E3 group of countries met with their Iranian counterpart’s in Iran’s Consulate General in Istanbul where they revived diplomatic efforts around Iran’s disputed nuclear program. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi has stated that Iran was positive regarding the progress of the negotiations as they held constructive, frank and serious talks with their European counterparts for over 4 hours. The E3 officials have allegedly requested some concessions from the Iranians such as accountability for the remaining 400kg of enriched uranium to 60% of purity, reengagement with the US in mediated or direct talks, and allowing IAEA inspectors into the nuclear sites. Iran has restated their position, claiming to have devised the nuclear program strictly for civilian purposes and warned against the immediate reimposition of the snapback sanctions which would cause renewed diplomatic rifts and collapse the negotiations.
Impact: Europe has effectively positioned itself as an intermediator in facilitating a peaceful resolution to the issue of Iran’s disputed nuclear program. Both diplomatic camps despite not concluding concrete further steps have agreed to continue their engagement which would most probably debilitate Iran’s aggressive stance on nuclear inspections, abandonment of the Nuclear non – proliferation treaty and reengaging in warfare with Israel and the US. Through the Istanbul talks, a baseline has been formed to develop extensive diplomatic initiatives and restore bilateral trust which would practically bring a potential diplomatic resolution closer to its conclusion. The positive signs from the initial engagement are to be considered with a dose of skepticism, as the E3 work in close coordination with the US, which could potentially compromise the talks going forward by enforcing severe demands in the beginning stages of the diplomatic reengagement.