ISTANBUL – A senior Iranian official stated on Saturday that the proposals put forward by European powers during recent talks in Geneva regarding Iran’s nuclear program were “unrealistic,” warning that adhering to these positions would make it difficult to reach a consensus.
The meeting, attended by the foreign ministers of Britain, France, and Germany (the E3) along with the EU, aimed to prevent further escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran. However, little progress was made during Friday’s discussions.
“The discussions and proposals made by the Europeans in Geneva were unrealistic. Sticking to these positions will not bring Iran and Europe any closer to an agreement,” the Iranian official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Iran will review the European proposals in Tehran and present its responses in the next meeting,” the official added.
Despite the lack of immediate breakthroughs, both sides signaled their willingness to continue talks, although no new meeting date was scheduled. European diplomats described Friday’s discussions as an attempt to gauge Iran’s readiness to negotiate a new nuclear deal, despite no clear indication that Israel would cease its attacks anytime soon.
Although details of the proposals remain undisclosed, two European diplomats revealed that the E3 did not expect Israel to agree to a ceasefire in the near future and noted the challenge of resuming negotiations between Iran and the U.S. The goal, they said, was to start a parallel negotiation track, initially without the U.S., focusing on a new deal that would include tougher inspections, potentially covering Iran’s ballistic missile program, while allowing Tehran to maintain some uranium enrichment capacity.
On Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with his Iranian counterpart, stating that both sides had agreed to speed up negotiations. However, Macron emphasized that it was Iran’s responsibility to provide assurances that its intentions were peaceful.
Despite some European ministers suggesting on Friday that Iran might be open to discussions beyond the nuclear issue, the senior Iranian official rejected the idea of negotiating Iran’s defensive capabilities, including its missile program. He reiterated that the concept of zero uranium enrichment was a non-starter.
“Iran welcomes diplomacy but not under the shadow of war,” the official concluded.
