The French outlet wrote that following the suspension of indirect negotiations between Iran and the U.S., which had been mediated by Oman, Europe has attempted to reassert itself as an active player in nuclear talks with Iran. One such effort was the recent meeting in Istanbul between Iranian officials and representatives from the European troika, seen by diplomats as a step toward exploring alternatives to the stalled Tehran-Washington talks.
What has raised concerns among experts and media like *Le Monde* is Europe’s apparent adoption of Washington’s hardline stance, particularly its insistence on zero uranium enrichment in Iran. This position contradicts the clear and recognized rights of NPT member states, and Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear program is strictly peaceful and in accordance with the treaty.
While European countries have threatened to trigger the Snapback Mechanism if no agreement is reached by the end of August, many analysts argue that such a move lacks both legal grounding and political legitimacy—especially considering that the European signatories failed to uphold their own commitments under the JCPOA after the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the deal.
In response to over a year of unilateral U.S. sanctions and European inaction, Iran invoked Article 36 of the JCPOA to suspend its voluntary commitments, including increasing uranium enrichment levels up to 60%. According to a recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran has produced around 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to that level. While Western countries view this as a deviation from peaceful use, Iran insists it remains within its lawful rights.
During talks in Geneva, Iranian officials reaffirmed that any serious return to negotiations hinges on halting the recent acts of aggression against Iranian territory by Israel and the United States. These attacks, which caused significant casualties, led to a temporary halt in indirect Iran-U.S. negotiations and further strained the diplomatic atmosphere.
Nevertheless, *Le Monde* reports that Iran and Europe have agreed to continue talks and hold further meetings. Experts such as James Acton have warned that insisting on zero enrichment could prompt Iran to restrict IAEA inspections—an action that would reduce transparency and deepen existing deadlocks.
Ultimately, *Le Monde* cautions that Europe’s blind alignment with Washington—without accounting for its own diplomatic and security interests—not only fails to resolve the crisis but also risks making the situation more complex and jeopardizing the last remaining chances for a diplomatic breakthrough.
