Iranian Foreign Minister Will Communicate With European Foreign Minister For Trio Related To Nuclear Program

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (right)/PHOTO via X @araghchi

JAKARTA - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will make phone calls with Britain's foreign ministers, France, and Germany on Wednesday, as Tehran has attempted to circumvent the reimposition of international sanctions on its nuclear program.

Reported by Reuters on Wednesday, September 17, French diplomatic sources said the phone call was aimed at discussing the re-implementation of upcoming UN sanctions by European countries and to reaffirm the requirements they have set for Tehran so that the decision could be postponed.

Tehran calls for a positive approach and goodwill from European powers, known as the E3, which began a one-month process to reimpose sanctions against Iran lifted based on the 2015 nuclear deal canceled after President Donald Trump withdrew the United States in 2018.

The call, which will also involve the European Union's Head of Foreign Policy, Kaja Kallas, following a deal reached by Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last week on the resumption of cooperation between Tehran and the UN nuclear watchdog agency, including in principle inspections of nuclear sites.

In June, Israel and the United States attacked Iran's nuclear facilities, arguing Iran was too close to being able to produce nuclear weapons, and the IAEA inspection was halted due to security concerns and complaints from Tehran.

The continued cooperation between Iran and the IAEA is one of the three conditions set by European countries to delay the completion of the UN snapback mechanism automatically implementing the UN Security Council sanctions they implemented in August.

"It is a natural hope that Iran's positive approach and goodwill will be rewarded by the European side. If some Europeans startto nag, this is not enough. That means they don't accept the IAEA," said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.

"We hope that with contacts, like today and in the future, all parties will come to the conclusion that increasing tensions and extending the current situation is not beneficial to anyone," he continued.