Iran to hold nuclear talks with France, Germany and UK as Trump presidency looms

Meetings come amid tension in the Middle East between Iran and its allies, and Israel

The Bushehr nuclear power plant, south of Tehran. EPA

Iran is set to hold talks with Britain, France and Germany in Geneva on Friday over its nuclear programme, less than two months before Donald Trump returns as US president.

Iranian diplomat Majid Takht-Ravanchi, political deputy to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, will represent Iran in the talks, which follow a meeting in New York in September. Laying the groundwork on Thursday, Mr Takht-Ravanchi and deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, met Enrique Mora, deputy secretary general of the EU's foreign affairs arm.

Mr Mora said on X that they held a "frank exchange ... on Iran's military support to Russia that has to stop, the nuclear issue that needs a diplomatic solution, regional tensions [important to avoid further escalation from all sides] and human rights".

In 2018, the then-Trump administration withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran with six global powers and reimposed sanctions on Iran. That prompted Tehran to breach the nuclear limits set out in the pact, with moves such as rebuilding stockpiles of enriched uranium, refining it to higher fissile purity and installing advanced centrifuges to speed up output.

Indirect talks between President Joe Biden's administration and Tehran to try to revive the pact have failed, but Mr Trump said in his election campaign in September: "We have to make a deal, because the consequences are impossible. We have to make a deal."

Friday's meeting takes place in the context of tension in the Middle East between Iran and its allies, and Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel would do "everything" to stop Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon after Mr Araghchi warned Iran could end its ban on developing one if western sanctions are reimposed.

The West's accusation that Tehran is supplying Russia with explosive drones for its war in Ukraine has further darkened the backdrop to the talks. On January 20, Mr Trump, who pursued a policy of "maximum pressure" against Iran during his first term, returns to the White House.

Friday's talks in Geneva have been overshadowed by the European countries teaming up with Washington to have Tehran censured by the UN atomic watchdog. Last week, the 35-nation board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency adopted a resolution proposed by Britain, France, Germany and the US condemning Iran for its lack of co-operation on nuclear issues.

The criticism at the IAEA prompted a defiant response from Tehran, which described the move as "politically motivated" and in response announced the launch of "new advanced centrifuges" designed to increase its stockpile of enriched uranium.

But Iranian officials have since signalled a willingness to engage with others before Mr Trump's return to office. Iran insists on its right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes but, according to the IAEA, it is the only non-nuclear-weapon state enriching uranium to 60 per cent. Mr Araghchi has warned that frustration in Tehran over unmet commitments, such as lifting sanctions, was fuelling debate over whether the country should alter its nuclear policy.

"We have no intention to go further than 60 per cent for the time being, and this is our determination right now," he told The Guardian on Thursday. But he added that "there is this debate going on in Iran, and mostly among the elites ... whether we should change our nuclear doctrine", because it has so far proven to be "insufficient in practice".

The 2015 nuclear deal aimed to give Iran relief from western sanctions in exchange for limiting its nuclear programme. Tehran has consistently denied any such ambition. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final authority in Iran's decision-making, has issued a fatwa prohibiting atomic weapons.

For Tehran, the goal of Friday's talks is to avoid a "double disaster" scenario of renewed pressures from both Trump and European governments, said political analyst Mostafa Shirmohammadi. He noted that Iran's support in Europe had been eroded by allegations it offered military assistance for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Iran has denied these accusations and hopes to mend relations with Europe, while also maintaining a firm stance.

The Geneva talks come amid a war of words between Iran and Israel. "I will do everything to prevent it from becoming a nuclear [power], I will use all the resources that can be used," Mr Netanyahu told Israeli broadcaster Channel 14.

Israel is the region's sole, if undeclared, nuclear-armed state. It has long made preventing any rival from matching it its top defence priority. Iran launched two missile barrages at Israel over the past year in retaliation for the killing of leaders from Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as an Iranian general. Israel responded both times with limited attacks on Iran, most recently bombing military sites on October 26.