‘Not Under Pressure or Sanctions’: Tehran and Key European Powers Discuss Resuming Nuclear Talks

Latest Developments

• Iran and E3 Hold Talks: Diplomats from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom — known as the E3 — met with Iranian officials in Geneva on January 14 to discuss the possibility of resuming nuclear negotiations. The meeting marked the second round of talks in less than two months, following a discreet meeting in November.  
• Regime Seeks Sanctions Relief Prior to Talks With Washington: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on January 14 that the regime will not negotiate with the incoming Trump administration unless “they return to the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)]” negotiated in 2015, adding that Tehran would engage in talks on condition that these take place “not under pressure and sanctions.” Araghchi had previously expressed the same sentiment during a meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi in November.
• Iran Highlights Israeli Efforts Against Its Nuclear Program: Iranian Vice President for Strategic Affairs Javad Zarif, who served as the foreign minister when the JCPOA was negotiated, claimed on January 14 that Israel had planted explosives inside the Natanz nuclear facility centrifuges prior to installation, without specifying the date. The regime had previously accused Israel of orchestrating an underground explosion in its Natanz facility in 2021.

FDD Expert Response

“Iran had what was by all accounts a very generous nuclear deal on the table from the Biden administration. Instead, it chose to advance its nuclear program to the threshold of atomic weapons. Now that Trump, maximum pressure, and potentially military strikes against Tehran’s nuclear sites may be back on the table, the regime is seeking to avert their consequences. It knows that the era of Western appeasement is over.” — Andrea Stricker, Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program Deputy Director and Research Fellow

“Tehran wants to tie up the incoming Trump administration in talks that add to the lifespan of the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism rather than seeking its meaningful disarmament. Europe should take note.” — Behnam Ben Taleblu, Iran Program Senior Director and Senior Fellow

Related Analysis

“Biden Weighs Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Facilities Should Tehran Dash for Bomb,” FDD Flash Brief

“The Curious Case of Iran’s Destroyed Nuclear Site,” by Andrea Stricker

“Iran Is Waiting for a President Harris,” by Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh