ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An Iranian diplomat said that he had a “serious and frank” discussion with representatives from France, Britain and Germany about the country’s nuclear program in Istanbul on Friday. “Together with [deputy foreign minister for political affairs Majid] Takht Ravanchi, we held a serious, frank, and detailed discussion” with European representatives, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in a post on X. “The latest developments regarding the issue of sanctions lifting and the nuclear issue were discussed and reviewed,” he added. These are the first nuclear talks between Tehran and Europe since Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities in their 12-day war. “It was agreed that consultations on this matter will continue," said Gharibabadi. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has said that without a firm commitment from Tehran, the Europeans would be "justified" in seeking a “snapback” of United Nations sanctions lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers. Tehran has said there is no justification for activating the “snapback” mechanism. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday said that Iran will uphold its right to nuclear enrichment. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said on Friday he was "encouraged" that Iran had agreed to allow a delegation from the nuclear watchdog to visit the country "within weeks," AFP reported. Earlier in July, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ratified a law suspending cooperation with the IAEA, effectively blocking inspectors from entering the country until Iran receives guarantees protecting its nuclear infrastructure. Pezeshkian claimed that Israeli intelligence may have obtained sensitive information from IAEA inspectors. Before the war with Israel, Iran had five rounds of Oman-mediated indirect nuclear talks with the US, which pulled out of the nuclear deal in 2018. Iran’s leadership has repeatedly said that the country does not seek an atomic weapon.
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