Iran and EU Hold “Intense” and “Constructive” Nuclear Talks

Iranian negotiators met with the European Union (EU) mediator Enrique Mora on Wednesday, June 21, in Qatar, as part of ongoing efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement with the P5+1 world powers. 

"Had a serious and constructive meeting with Mora in Doha. We exchanged views and discussed a range of issues including negotiations on sanctions lifting," Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani said on Twitter. 

Mora, the deputy EU foreign policy chief, tweeted that the Doha talks were "intense" and had touched on "a range of difficult bilateral, regional and international issues, including the way forward on the JCPOA."

The meetings signified a "mutual understanding" between Tehran and Washington to ease tensions and break the deadlock surrounding the nuclear deal, they said.

Previous attempts to revive the agreement through indirect talks had faltered since September.

However, Iranian and western officials have been meeting frequently in recent weeks to outline potential measures aimed at curbing Iran's advancing nuclear activities, securing the release of some detainees held by Iran, and unfreezing Iranian assets abroad.

The European Union emphasized its commitment to maintaining diplomatic channels with Iran through the meeting in Doha, ensuring that all concerns are addressed. 

EU spokesperson Peter Stano expressed that the bloc is "keeping diplomatic channels open, including through this meeting in Doha, to address all issues of concern with Iran."

Last week, Bagheri Kani had meetings with his UK, German, and French counterparts in the United Arab Emirates, where they discussed various matters and shared mutual concerns.

The 2015 nuclear agreement aimed to restrict Iran's controversial uranium enrichment activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. 

However, the United States, under then-president Donald Trump, withdrew from the pact in 2018, deeming it too lenient on Iran, and subsequently reestablished sanctions that severely impacted the Iranian economy.

The meeting between Bagheri Kani and Mora in Doha occurred after Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei expressed the possibility of a new nuclear deal with western powers.

"There is nothing wrong with the agreement [with the West], but the infrastructure of our nuclear industry should not be touched," Khamenei said on June 11.