Europe Powers, US to Meet on Iran Nuclear Deal

By Staff, Agencies

Three European nations will hold talks with the US over Iran on Thursday as they try to salvage a 2015 deal on Tehran's nuclear program, France said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will host his German and British counterparts in Paris, with America's new top diplomat Antony Blinken joining via videoconference, the French foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

The European ministers want to revive the nuclear deal that former US president Donald Trump walked away from in 2018.

The administration of Trump's successor Joe Biden has said it could rejoin if Tehran returns to compliance with the deal.

"The meeting will focus on Iran and regional security in the Middle East, as part of their regular discussions on these topics," the French statement said.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] was based on Iran providing safeguards that it would not make an atomic bomb, in exchange for a gradual easing of international sanctions.

But the return of sanctions after Trump left the deal prompted Tehran to retaliate by intensifying its nuclear work in repeated violation of the deal.