Kaja Karas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, engaged in discussions with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragut, emphasizing the need to restart negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
Karas stated, “We should resume talks on Iran’s nuclear program as soon as possible. It’s important for cooperation with the IAEA to continue. The EU is prepared to facilitate this. Threatening to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty won’t help ease tensions,” in a post on Tuesday.
The two officials spoke via phone on Tuesday. During their conversation, Aragut criticized certain countries amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, mentioning IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi’s partial responsibility in the situation, though he didn’t specify which country he referred to.
He indicated to Karas that the actions of these nations are complicating the current environment and hindering diplomatic efforts.
Recently, Israel and Iran have exchanged military strikes, with U.S. forces targeting three key Iranian nuclear sites last month. This escalation disrupted two months of nuclear negotiations involving Aragut and, notably, Trump’s engagement in the region.
Trump and his supporters characterized the U.S. attack on June 21 as a pivotal move aimed at impeding Iran’s nuclear ambitions and criticized a leaked report stating that airstrikes had only postponed Tehran’s program for a few months.
In a statement on Monday, Iran’s Deputy Minister Majid Takt Ravanchi remarked that Tehran would consider reopening talks with Washington, provided that the U.S. refrains from further strikes.
He posed a question regarding the likelihood of ongoing attacks while discussions are in progress, indicating a demand for clarity from the U.S.
Takht-Ravanchi insisted that Iran must retain the right to enrich uranium for peaceful activities.
Next week, Trump is set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, where they will discuss various issues, including trade relations, the ongoing conflict in Gaza, and the ramifications of strikes against Iran.
