Geneva talks renew hope for Iran nuclear deal

Iran’s official news agency reported on Tuesday that discussions held in Geneva between Iran, Britain, France, and Germany will continue to address Tehran’s contentious nuclear program.

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for international and legal affairs, described Monday’s talks as “serious, frank, and constructive.” Writing on X, he noted, “We discussed ideas involving certain details in the sanctions-lifting and nuclear fields that are needed for a deal.

Both sides concurred that negotiations should be resumed and to reach a deal, all parties should create and maintain the appropriate atmosphere. We agreed to continue our dialogue.”

These discussions build on talks held in November, during which an Iranian official suggested that finalizing a roadmap with European counterparts would shift responsibility to the U.S. for determining the future of the nuclear deal.

The original 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and six major powers unraveled in 2018 when then-U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement and reinstated severe sanctions on Iran. In response, Tehran breached the pact’s limits, expanding enriched uranium stockpiles, refining uranium to higher levels of fissile purity, and deploying advanced centrifuges.

Efforts by U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration to revive the agreement through indirect talks with Tehran have so far been unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, Trump, who seeks to return to office, has pledged to reinstate his prior policy of economic pressure to compel Iran into broader negotiations over its nuclear and regional activities.